


Family Is More Than Blood

by Checkpoint



Category: BBS - Fandom, Banana Bus Squad, Vanosscrew
Genre: Apocalypse, Italian Mafia, Other
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-08
Updated: 2019-10-06
Packaged: 2019-10-24 17:18:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 27,749
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17708420
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Checkpoint/pseuds/Checkpoint
Summary: Years after the collapse of civilisation as everyone knew it, the world was beginning to right itself. Communities were rebuilding, and order was returning to daily life. However, in the wake of a power struggle, the boys find themselves in a position to earn a stable living for the first time in years. But this kind of work doesn't come without risks, and as the boys are thrown into situations they are not prepared to face, the fate of their family hangs in the balance.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! This is my first fan fiction on this site, so any and all feedback would be appreciated. Ratings may change as the story progresses. This story will also on my tumblr account, so if you want to have a chat you can find me on there by the name Oltanis. That being said, please enjoy!

Evan shivered and pulled his jacket closer around him, head bowed as he made his way quickly across the street in the pouring rain. He glanced around him but nobody was out in this weather, so he put his head back down and tried to walk as close to the buildings as possible. Being out on ones own, even in full daylight, was dangerous, and despite the crowbar in his grip and the firearm under his jacket, Evan walked as fast as he dared. It had been around four years since the collapse of the worlds economy, which had kick started the end of the world as everyone knew it. The world’s oil reserves had all dried up, sparking the worst economic slump since the Great Depression. On thing lead to another, and currency lost all of its value when it could no longer keep food on the table. Everyone in the world was thrown into the midst of a massive crisis all at once. At first, people tried to keep the peace, but fighting soon broke out, and the rioting and looting which followed started to turn deadly. It was survival of the fittest, and sometimes, Evan still wasn’t sure how he had survived. Trying not slip on the sidewalk as he rounded a sharp corner, Evan kept his head down as he passed a another pair of men coming towards him. They world had settled down now, for the most part. Communities sprouted up in the remnants of the old cities, and while times were still tough, the city walls offered protection and a warm, dry place to stay, which was more than you could ask for if you were on the outside. When order was established, the local banks were all emptied, and slowly money regained it’s original purpose. People began to rebuild their lives, working to bring in supplies, or provide a service in exchange for money, which would be traded for food. It was a good system for those who could find stable work, but those couldn’t, like Evan and his ragtag family, were left out in the cold.

Evan ducked into an alley, edging around the overflowing bins from the old neighbouring Chinese store and crowded up close to a worn door hidden in an alcove, knocking once, then three times, then twice more, ignoring the cold rain dripping down his neck. Evan waited as he heard movement behind the door, shifting from foot to foot as the door opened a crack, and a man peeked out at him. “Password?” Evan rolled his eyes, “Jaren it’s me, open the damn door it’s freezing out here.” Jaren opened door an few inches, not enough for Evan to squeeze past, but enough for him to see the grin on his face. “That’s not this weeks password, Evan. You’re gonna have to try harder than that.” Evan narrowed his eyes at his friend, but sighed and gave up pretty easily with the rain still hitting him. “Apple pie.” He said, and Jaren opened the door, bowing down and waving him in, still smiling. Evan ducked through the door and shrugged his jacket off, making sure to flick some water at Jaren on the way in, and made his way inside as his friend locked the door and followed him in. Evan made his way to the living room, turning into the room to be greeted by the seven remaining members of the group. He took his jacket and hung it on the back of one of the remaining chairs, looking around at his friends as he took his seat.

“Did you get it?” The room went dead quiet as Tyler cut straight to the chase. Evan nodded, reaching into the waistband of his jeans and pulling out a wad of banknotes, wrapped in torn newspaper, damp from the wet outside. The tension in the room was palpable as everyone’s eyes were locked onto the package in his hand, and Evan knew that everyone was considering their next move. It was desperation that drove them all to this point, to the job Evan had just completed. In the world they lived in now, their lives depended on how useful they could be. They tried everything they could think of to protect themselves and survive, but no matter what they tried they could never seem to keep themselves afloat for long. Jobs dried up, or someone else came along who could do the job better, and the boys were begging for the scraps they did manage to bring home. They were a family, and they were always going to stick together, but they could not continue on the way they were, and every one of them knew it. But the kind of jobs that got them the cash they needed were the ones everybody else avoided, the kind of jobs you only took on if you had nothing to lose.“They said that there was another job lined up, told me to bring any friends I might have.” Evan piped up, meeting everyone’s eyes in turn as they looked at him. Eyeing Tyler at the other end of the table, he slid the money across to him and continued, “I said I would get back to them on it.” Tyler sat back, staring at the table as if it had all the answers he needed. Evan kept his gaze on Tyler, waiting for his oldest friend to wrap his head around what it meant. 

When the world had first gone to hell and everything was still falling down around them, Evan hadn’t known anyone. His family was new to the country, having emigrated from Japan a few months prior. Both his parents had been killed during the chaos of the first few days, and Evan had been homeless and desperate, raiding trash bins for food and squatting in destroyed and abandoned homes to stay alive. He had tried reaching out to other survivors, but quickly learned that not everyone wanted to share what little was left.  
It was one particularly bad night when Tyler had found him. Evan had not been quick enough, and got the snot kicked out of him and his meagre belongings stolen by three men. He had been lying in an alley, trying to breathe through the burning in his ribs and stomach, when a shadow loomed over him. At first Evan panicked, thinking it was the men back to finish him off, so he tried to run, ignoring the flaring pain in his abdomen and the blood running down his face as he backed away. It wasn’t until the figure held their hands up in surrender, that Evan took a good look at him. He was tall, brown eyes peering out from under a black hooded sweatshirt, mouth set in a hard line. “I’m not here to hurt you” He had said, taking a small step closer, “I just want to help.” Evan hadn’t believed him at first, pressing harder against the brick wall behind him, eyes darting around and back to the stranger, looking for any way out. They had stayed in that alley for what seemed like hours, Tyler eventually coaxing Evan out with the promise of a warm place to stay.  
From then on, they had been inseparable. Evan learned that Tyler had run away from home when he had found him, his family becoming toxic and violent in the wake of all the destruction, and he couldn’t stand by when they were hurting others just for the sake of it, not just to survive anymore. 

They made a good team, Evan level headed where Tyler was passionate, Tyler strong where Evan was fast, and they managed to get by on their own for a long time. They stayed just the two of them for a year and a half, and in that time, they built a friendship that had survived every hardship the world had to offer, including their current poverty. It was Evan who had been offered the job, and after arguing for days on the pros and cons, they had decided to go through with it.  
Evan had been tasked with an escort job, which sounded simple enough, but the individual he was a man in the spotlight, and associating themselves with someone who garnered that much attention meant that it could spread to them as well, putting their whole family at risk. 

A lot of things had been lost during the collapse, but politics was not one of them. The leadership of the community was forever changing hands, whoever could offer the greatest protection taking the top spot. The current leader was a man who, at the time of his election, had a massive following, meaning more manpower and therefore more safety for those who couldn’t protect themselves. However, there had been an increase of raids on their slice of the city, and many lives had been lost in the struggles. This lead to unrest within the community, and many were to taking the opportunity to try and inherit the leadership role. It was one of these ‘candidates’ that Evan had to escort through a neighbourhood currently in the middle of no mans land. The man, Sylas, as he was known, didn’t have the largest following, but what he did have was firepower. Guns and ammo, which he promised to spread to the community in order for them to protect not only the community, but themselves as well, which was unprecedented. The job went off without a hitch, and Sylas thanked Evan personally on the other end, asking after his family, and promising him more work, and more payment, if they wanted it. Evan had hedged his bets, promising to keep in touch, just liked him and Tyler agreed, and hightailed it back to their shelter.

Evan looked around the table, at every one of his friends who had come so far since their world fell apart, and for once in his life he didn’t know which direction they were headed. Ever since Tyler had picked him off the street floor all those years ago, he had known where they had needed to go, and what they had to do to survive. As their group had grown, there had been times that had tried them all, but they had always had a purpose, even if it was just to survive until morning. But now, with the position they were in and the opportunity in front of them, Evan for the first time was unsure, and looking around the table, he could see that everyone else looked just as lost as he felt.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a little longer, as it explores the backstories of everyone who is currently in the story. Not much plot, but it provides some insight into why the boys are the way they are.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not have a regular load schedule, so the chapters will probably come out in fits and starts. If you'd like to have a chat, feel free to message, and let me know if you like where the story is headed so far!

Tyler stared at the money Evan had brought home and did not feel good about the situation one bit. Their impromptu meeting had ended a while ago, but Tyler couldn’t bring himself to move from his seat at the table. The money, and what it meant for them, was weighing too heavily on his mind. There was a lot risk involved, and being affiliated with Sylas could prove detrimental to the safety of their family if things didn’t go the way they planned. But with the way things were going they were not going to be able to support themselves for much longer. He sat back and turned his attention to his friends, all scattered around the room. Brian, David, and Anthony were having a discussion on their ratty sofa to his right, their loud chatter filling the room. Evan had dried off and was now chatting with Jaren, Marcel, and Ryan in the kitchen to his left, watching as they prepared dinner. Jonathan was on watch, sat on the stool by the door where Jaren had been when Evan had returned. 

All his friends had lost so much in the years since the world came apart, and he felt responsible for them, especially when things were tough. He wanted to find them another way to survive, one that didn’t involve putting their lives on the line every time they went out the door and found himself remembering how they all met as he watched Jaren say something that made Evan throw his head back with laughter.

It had been about three and a half years since Tyler had rescued Evan in that alley, and they spent a year and a half on their own before meeting anyone else. It had been Evan alerting him to a robbery in a convenience store down the street when he first saw Jonathan, all skin and bone as he had been then, with a dirty dark coloured hoodie hanging off of his frame. The store housed some particularly nasty survivors, and they had hidden close by, curiosity getting the better of both of them. Tyler had peeked over Evan’s head, watching the thief get in through a side door and take all the food he could carry through the stores' dirty windows. Men were guarding the store, Tyler spying two on the roof, and another three out front. But the thief was silent, and he made his way out of the store and past the patrols, his arms laden with food, without being spotted. They continued to watch as he made his way across the street towards their hiding place, ducking behind a building as he rushed past them with quick footsteps. Evan had looked at him, and they re-evaluated their plans. It wouldn’t be long before the people squatting in the store noticed they had been stolen from, and they didn’t want any conflict with the dangerous group. After a moment's deliberation, they headed back to where they were staying, planning to be gone by morning.

It was later that night, he and Evan sharing a can of tomatoes together on the dusty floor of a long-abandoned warehouse, huddled around a small fire for warmth, when they heard a commotion outside. The boys looked at each other, and Tyler had moved to the window to check it out as Evan kicked out their fire so they could stay hidden. But when he saw the thief from earlier, Tyler was moving toward the door before he had really thought it through, only stopping when Evan caught up with him. “What are you doing?” He had hissed out, “You are going to get us killed!” Tyler shook him off, opening the door a crack, raised voices outside growing loud enough to make out. Evan grew silent as he spied the thief backing away from two larger men, more food cradled in his arms. The men were backing him into a corner, and they could see no weapon on the thief. He tried to run, and Tyler flinched as he was caught, slammed into the wall by the larger of the two men.

They hadn’t stopped to consider what they were about to do, Evan pulling out a crowbar from his belt loop and Tyler palming his steel pipe where it rested in his sweatshirt’s pocket as Evan moved out of their hiding place, Tyler following his lead. They made it as close as they could, then moved into the line of the sight of the thief, behind the two men pinning him. “You saying something to our friend here?” Evan had asked, Tyler keeping his weapon in the view of the men as they turned around, the thief still firmly in their grasp. Once the assailants realised it wasn’t going to be as easy as they had anticipated, they backed away from the thief, and turned tail and ran without a second thought.

The man had stood stock still, watching them both with piercing blue eyes from under a navy hoodie that had seen better days. “We aren’t here to hurt you.” Tyler had said, echoing his words to Evan from all those months before. “We just wanted to help.” “You are free to leave.” Evan had continued, putting his crowbar back into his jeans and stepping forward a little, raising his hands slightly as the thief's eyes snapped to him. “But you know there are more people like that out there.” “There is room for one more with us” Tyler had added, and he saw Evan turn to face him in surprise. “If you want to go alone, that’s fine, but stick to moving during the day. More visibility, and harder for people to sneak up on you.” Evan and Tyler had waited, watching the thief as he thought over their offer. But he had darted between them, picking up the food lost in the scuffle, and made off down the street. Evan had sighed, glancing at Tyler before moving past him, and back towards their shelter. 

They had made it to the door when they heard a voice behind them “Wait.” Tyler stopped, turning back to see the thief stood behind them, still a way down the street. “If I join you, how would supplies be split?” Tyler had looked to Evan, who was obviously surprised at the question. “It would be an equal split” Tyler answered, keeping his voice as level as he could, but he knew Evan could hear the edge in his voice. The thief deliberated a second longer before he approached. “I’ll stick with you guys, names Jonathan” he finally replied, stopping an arm's length away from them both. They shared what food Jonathan had stolen that night, and while he never did tell them exactly what kind of situation he had been in before they had met, but they put together enough to know he had been taken advantage of and decided to let it be. 

Jonathan turned out to be an invaluable addition, naturally quiet and focused, once he set his sights on something, it wouldn’t be long until he’d taken it out from under your nose. He wasn’t one for decision-making, preferring to leave it up to him and Evan, and getting them in trouble from time to time, but he was loyal to a fault, and they all became fast friends. 

The next one they found was Marcel, but really it was Marcel who had found them. All three of them had been picking their way through some wrecked apartments, looking for anything they could lift to make their lives easier when Jonathan had caught Tyler’s eye. He subtly motioned behind him, silently telling him that someone was there. Tyler indicated that he had seen his gesture, and waited a few moments before glancing behind him. He almost missed it, but out of the corner of his eye, he saw someone duck behind a column, out of sight. He looked back to Jon, who nodded and moved over to where Evan was, and together they moved quickly out of sight. 

This wouldn’t be the first time someone had followed them, and they had made plans for situations like this. Tyler continued through the rubble at a steady pace, keeping track as the figure darted from hiding place to hiding place, always out of sight before he could get a good look. He knew Jonathan and Evan would be following them both by now, and Tyler ducked into a room and darted behind a crumbling wall as quietly as he could, waiting with bated breath as his stalker peered into the room moments later. Tyler watched him pause for a moment, apparently searching for him, and managed to get a good look at the man as he slowly crept into the room, low to the ground and quiet. Tyler couldn’t make out the mans face, only that he was tall, dark-skinned and thinly-built. He was wearing a long-sleeved shirt and khaki’s, an off white baseball cap and a black backpack which looked full to bursting on his back. He waited anxiously for Evan and Jonathan to reach them, ducking behind his cover and holding still as the man got closer, feeling a rising panic when he could no longer keep his eyes on his pursuer. 

“Hey! Where doing you think you’re going!” Tyler slumped in relief at hearing Evan’s voice ring out across the room. He had quickly stepped out from behind the wall, coming face to face with the man as he tried to run. The man had spun around, trying to outrun him and Evan by darting towards a hole in the concrete, but Jonathan was already waiting for him, swinging his baseball bat in his hand as he rounded the corner. The man skidded to a stop, the boys inching closer, and he turned to face each of them, throwing his hands in the air when he caught sight of Jonathan shouldering his baseball bat. After a bit of back and forth, he had spilled his whole story. They learned Marcel had been following them for weeks, as he had no group of his own. He had been desperate, living off of the scraps they left. But what he lacked in food, he more than made up for in supplies, carrying weapons and survival items they were in sore need of.

Tyler hadn’t been able to help feeling pity for Marcel, and when he looked to Evan, he knew his friend had too. He wasn’t scrawny like Jonathan had been when they first met, but he still looked starving, and they all knew how it felt to go hungry for too long. They knew he could be helpful, he was able to follow them without being spotted, and he was willing to share his supplies, but having another mouth to feed could prove too much for them to handle. They got enough for the three of them, but any more could be beyond them. Marcel had pleaded with them, when they remained on the fence, and when Evan had looked to him, and Tyler could see it would weigh heavily on Evan’s mind if they left the man. He had taken one last look at Jonathan, who met his gaze and nodded. 

Marcel had jumped in the air, whooping excitedly and rushed in to hug Evan, nearly knocking him over with his enthusiasm. Evan had chuckled, patting him on the back and smiling as he was released, and together they all left the building a little lighter. He proved himself indispensable quickly, sharing everything he found with them. He was naturally suspicious and hesitant to take necessary risks, but his enthusiasm and laughter were infectious, and they quickly considered him family.

They had spent another 8 months with just the four of them, never settling in one place, staying just long enough to take what food they could and move on. By then the world had started to right itself, and groups were forming alliances in safe places, rebuilding some sense of normality and civility not seen since before the world ended. They briefly considered joining one of these communities, but for every peaceful group there was a violent one still causing trouble, and their little family wasn’t equipped to be in the middle of a conflict like that. So they stuck to what they knew and decided to stay out on their own, at least until things calmed down.

It had been the middle of winter when they got a little too desperate and got themselves into trouble. They were running desperately low on food and warm clothing, but they had weapons and what they thought was a well thought out plan. At first, it was going fine, they had all snuck into the camp of some survivors they had been tailing for a while. It was a larger group, set up in a chain department store, but they had a stockpile of food and clothes nobody would miss. They had broken through a backdoor, out of sight of the group camped by the front windows, and had already stashed the warmer jackets, pants, and shoes they needed in duffel bags and backpacks. It was when they snuck their way further into the store that they ran into trouble. Tyler had been leading the group, followed by Evan, then Marcel, and Jonathan brought up the rear when a man had surprised them, and Tyler had no time to react as someone smacked him upside the head with a bat as he rounded the corner. He dimly heard Evan and Jonathan scream his name, but he was unconscious before he had hit the ground.

Tyler remembered waking in an unfamiliar room, his head pounding. His steel pipe and duffel bag were by the door across from him, but apart from the couch he has on and the lantern on the floor, there was no sign of life. He had stumbled off the sofa, desperate to find his friends, grabbing the pipe as he opened the door enough to take a look. He could see Marcel and Jonathan in a room across the hall, speaking with a man he didn’t know through the small gap. They didn’t look as though they were in any trouble, but he could see they were tense. He didn’t think they were in danger, but he had no way to be sure. Deciding to make himself known, he kept his pipe in hand, but he opened the door and stepped out, watching as all eyes in the room turned to him. Marcel had smiled in obvious relief, and Jonathan crossed the room to throw an arm around his shoulders. He was quickly introduced to the stranger housing them, Ryan, but when Evan had not appeared, he began to get suspicious. Where was he? Why was he not here with the rest of them? He asked his friends, and Tyler felt a sick sense of dread when the mention of their friend had put a pained expression on Jonathan’s usually composed face. Marcel looked to the floor, and Ryan stepped forward, trying to appease him. But he was not to be calmed, panic rising as he asked again, and Ryan led him to the room next door to where Tyler had awoken. 

He wasn’t prepared for the site of Evan, lying deathly still on a cot, bandages covering his torso. He was shockingly pale, and although he was unconscious, there was a frown that made it obvious his rest was anything peaceful. Voice strangled with emotion, Jonathan explained that after he was hit, Evan had tried to get him to safety while Marcel and Jonathan had held them off. They thought they had got away when they had heard a shot and found Evan writhing in the middle of the street, Tyler still unconscious by his side. At this point Jonathan had cut himself off, unable to continue. “We were in the middle of the street, and we had to move. I managed to drag you into an alley, but Jonathan had to pick Evan up. We were lucky he passed out before his screaming alerted anyone to our position.” Marcel had continued, his face stony. “We were trying to figure out what to do when Ryan found us.”

Ryan had continued to treat Evan and Tyler and insisted they stay, even after Evan awoke. He was older than the rest of them, but he was a gentle soul. He wouldn’t fight anyone if his life depended on it, but he had come through for them when no one else had, and they trusted him with their lives. It was a restless two days for everyone before Evan shocked them all by appearing in the doorway, swaying dangerously and gripping the wall like a lifeline. In return, Tyler, Marcel, and Jonathan went out for food and supplies, sometimes bringing back the odd chair or kitchen equipment as well. Soon the little hideout was filled with furniture, and they all got used to having a place to call home again. So when it came time to leave, every one of their little family was subdued. They thanked Ryan for his hospitality, but he surprised them all when he asked what they were doing. None of them could answer, cause they didn’t know, and Ryan used their silence to coerce them into staying a little longer, and before they knew it, he had become a permanent addition to their group. Unpacking their bags was a surreal feeling, but Tyler felt he could get used to it.

Next came David, and he was perhaps the most stressful addition after Ryan. They had been combing through an old food market, looking for anything they could take when they had been ambushed and separated. Jonathan and Evan had made it back home first, followed a few minutes after by Tyler, but hours had passed and there had been no sign of Marcel. It was a hard decision to make, but they waited for the sun to rise before every one of them went out to search. They started where they had been separated, and split up to spiral out and search. Tyler looked in every alley, and peeked through windows, trying in vain to find any trace of his friend. When they all met up empty handed hours later, Tyler didn’t think he had ever felt so defeated before. They all returned home in silence. 

Later that night, as they were mourning the loss of their family member, a knock was heard at the door. Tyler kept his head in his hands as Evan got up, but a shout at the door quickly had him bolting down the hall. His heart was in his throat as he rounded the corner into the alley, but laughter from Evan had him stopping in his tracks. There was Marcel, and Tyler ran to join the embrace between and them as they reunited. He hadn’t alone, a tall, lanky man with dark hair waited patiently behind him, a smile on his face as well, but at that moment Tyler couldn’t have cared less who he was. Evan was questioning him a mile a minute, and when he could get a word in, Marcel explained that the man he had brought with him, David, had taken him when he got lost running from the thugs and had helped him find his way back. Tyler had gone over a grasped David’s shoulder, inviting him in as thanks. At first, he had refused, telling them he had to get back in a heavily accented voice, but they had insisted, and he relented without too much of a fight.

They had all talked long into the night and had learned that David had recently been the only survivor of an attack on his own group, similar to the one that had split them all up in the first place. They offered their condolences, and while they knew they could never replace his first group, they offered him a place in theirs. A man selfless enough to put himself at risk for one of their own was always welcome, Tyler told him, and David, after a moments thought, had accepted. David was steadfast, good with his hands, and made the best stew they had tasted in years. He wasn’t the greatest communicator, often mixing up his words and leaving out relevant information until later, but he never let them down when the going got tough.

After David was Anthony, and by this time, they had officially joined a community that was setting itself up in the area. Anthony was a big bear of a man, with a jovial personality and a loud laugh. They met through doing work for the community, Anthony hiring them to help move his supplies into a building where he was setting up shop as a food merchant. They all got along famously, and Anthony continued to ask them for work and provide them with food as payment. It wasn’t until the community brought in the money system that Anthony really became a part of their group. With the introduction of this system, people earned money for the work they did through the group in charge, and this money was traded back in return for food. This effectively put Anthony out of business, and with all he had done for them, the boys decided that they couldn’t leave him on the streets like that. They took him in, and once he got back on his feet, Anthony used the connections he had built when working in the store to find them work.

Tyler had taken on a lot of labourer work at the beginning, having experience through his dad’s old hardware company. David proved invaluable, he had been an engineer before, and his expertise served the entire joined community twice over. Evan, Jonathan, and Marcel took on odd jobs where they could, and Ryan and Anthony took up cooking in the community kitchen when they held meetings. 

It was at these meetings where they met the last two members of their group. Brian was an intimidating man, not in stature, but just in mannerisms. He had been a bodyguard, and he carried himself in a way that let everyone in the room know he was dangerous. Despite the peaceful intentions of joining forces, there will still some groups that tried to throw their weight around, and on one particular occasion, some of these individuals were bothering a couple and their young child. Brian had thrown himself in front of them, loudly declaring that they could “fock with him or move the hell on.” They hadn’t backed down, believing the three of them a match for the smaller Irishman. Tyler hadn’t doubted that he could handle himself but decided to back him up. When the men backed off, Brian turned to the three of them, and Tyler took the opportunity to introduce himself, and they got to chatting. They learned that Brian was on his own, and took a leap of faith, asking him if he wanted to come back with them for a while. Brian had laughed and declined, saying that he worked better on his own, and Tyler hadn’t taken it to heart, parting ways with the man amicably. They saw him everywhere after that, the entire group getting to know him. David was thrilled to meet another Irish man, and Tyler found it hard to decipher what they were saying to each other when they really got going. It was when the raids on their settlement began, and their slice of the city started getting smaller that Brian showed up on their doorstep, asking if his offer for a place to stay was still open. 

They had welcomed him with open arms, and along with his impressive collection of weaponry, saved from before the collapse, Brian brought his ability to charm anyone and everyone in the room with him. Between him and Anthony, they could talk anyone out of the clothes on their back. He was secretive, tight-lipped about his life before he met them, but they all grew to trust him before long.

Jaren was the last to join them. He was the youngest a by a margin and still had an innocence to him that was very rare to see. They had been attending a crisis meeting with the rest of the community, and Jaren had been handing out bowls of porridge to the people in attendance. It wasn’t the first time they had seen him here, all the boys had immediately taken to him, his wit and his warm personality, despite the oppressive atmosphere, still able to bring some levity to the situation. However, not everyone appreciated the effort Jaren was putting in to lighten the mood, and it didn’t go unnoticed when some gruff individuals were giving him a hard time. Before Tyler really knew what had happened, Brian, Marcel, and Evan were marching their way over, getting between Jaren and the men and staring them down, daring them to start something. 

When the men backed off, Marcel had swung an arm around Jaren’s shoulders, steering him towards their group and he stayed with them until the meeting was over. They had parted ways, but he showed up on their doorstep the very next day, sporting a blackened eye and bruised ribs. They had taken him in, and he had been skittish, to begin with, but when he got comfortable, there wasn’t a day that went by where he wasn’t making them all laugh with his antics and scathing comebacks. 

But since bringing Jaren in, money had started to dry up, and he knew the kid felt responsible. And as much as he hated it, it seemed the only way they were going to get out of the rut they were in was going to be taking a massive risk and accepting the work they were offered. They had all of twelve dollars to their names, and people weren’t going to let them stay if they couldn’t provide for themselves. He looked back to the money, the answer to all their problems and seriously considered the benefits of uprooting their family and leaving, just going back to how things were before they joined the community. But they had only just got settled and looking around the room he knew it would be too much for them to manage. They were too many now, and he would be damned before he let any of them suffer if he could do something about it.

With a heavy sigh, Tyler made up his mind, rising from the table as he felt all eyes turn to him. “I hate to say it, but this seems to be our only option.” he began, his eyes still on the money resting on the table. “So, as long as everyone else is in agreement…” he paused, and when there was no interruption, he raised his eyes to Evan’s solemn gaze. “We’ll take the offer.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Getting on with the plot now, things are starting to move forward for the boys.

Despite being one of the younger members of their family, Evan had always been a big brother to the other boys. Whenever they were in trouble, he was the one to get them out, and now was not going to be an exception. So when Tyler finally came around to the idea that they were going to do this, they all spent the rest of the afternoon and well into the evening making sure that they had a full-proof plan. Ultimately it was decided that at least until they were out of danger, they were sticking together at all times. The most significant risk to them right now was aligning themselves with someone who ultimately didn’t pan out as a leader for the community. This kind of fall out could see them excluded from not only their own community but every other one in the city as well. In the event things did go sour, they needed to be together.

Once their plan was fleshed out, and they broke apart for the night, Evan made sure he went around to every member of their family and did his best to lighten the somber mood. Usually, their little living room was filled with laughter, everyone at the table eating and talking about their day. But with everyone understandably on edge, the tension in the air was too thick, and Evan settled for making sure they were okay.

Jonathan, Brian, and Anthony were open to the idea. They knew they couldn’t continue as they were, and with the absence of any better ideas, they had agreed without any hesitation. They felt the only way to protect themselves was to take action, and they would do anything to protect each other.

Jaren and Ryan were on edge, as both of them despised conflict of any sort, and the idea of putting their lives in the hands of a man currently looking to overthrow the current leadership wasn’t sitting very well with them. But they knew that they had no other choice, and had resigned themselves to the idea pretty quickly. Marcel was having a harder time coming around. He didn’t trust anyone outside of their family easily, and despite his unwavering faith in them, he wasn’t keen on selling themselves to somebody with unknown motives.

David had been a hard sell, saying that he didn’t trust Sylas, didn’t believe his offer, and everyone knew why he was so worried. He had lost his last group to a rival, and Evan couldn’t imagine losing his family like that. But they were desperate, and eventually, he agreed, but it was his condition that they stay together and everyone had accepted.

They all went to bed a little more at ease after the discussion, and by the time the sun rose they were already on their way to meet with Sylas. Evan was leading the way, flanked by Jonathan and Brian, who were having an intense discussion on whether going to bed early or getting up later in the morning was better. Marcel, Ryan, Anthony, and Jaren followed in the middle, their laughter echoing into the empty streets, with Tyler and David bringing up the rear. Evan couldn’t help but feel relieved, he had agreed to meet with Sylas in a neutral setting, and it was a long trek, but everyone seemed to be in high spirits this morning. Evan would never admit it, but it helped to settle his nerves. As much as this plan had been mostly his idea, it didn’t mean he was underestimating the position it was going to put them in. If anything, Evan understood what it was like to lose family, and while hearing the banter from behind him was reassuring, it was also a reminder of everything they stood to lose.

Winding through the streets, Evan kept his eyes and ears open. They were nearing the meeting place, and he could tell the other boys were realising this too, as their discussions were all but silent now. For all their planning, no one could predict how it would really go down, and though they were prepared, being in unfamiliar territory was keeping them on alert. “It’s just on the other side of this building,” Evan spoke up, his voice loud in the quiet street. The boys stopped behind the wall, and Evan took a deep breath, looking back at his family. Despite the confidence, he had in them and their decision to go through with this, he wondered for the hundredth time if there was any other way for them than this. He hated that they had to be here, that they had to do this just to survive, but he would be damned before he allowed them to starve when he could do something about it. 

Evan squared his shoulders, and walked out into the rising sunlight, into the view of Sylas and his men. They were busy, but Evan was not fooled into thinking they had not noticed him. The way the guards oh-so-casually adjusted their stance, and the lull in conversation gave too much away, and at that moment Evan was sure of one thing. He was being considered a threat. So he kept his face neutral, devoid of any fear or hesitation, and strode confidently into their midst. He stopped when he was in earshot, making sure to keep his sidearm and crowbar in full view, and waited as Sylas turned to face him. He was of medium height, blond and carried himself with all the confidence of a man in control. Before, he had been a military man, and he led his men like a squadron, all efficiency, and contingency plans. 

“Evan! So good to see you again. I take it you thought over my offer?” Evan kept his voice calm as if this wasn’t the most stressful thing he had ever done. “I have.” Sylas smiled, opening his arms wide. “And what did you decide?” Evan knew the moment his friends made themselves known, watching bemusedly as the men surrounding him lifted their weapons in shocked synchronicity. Evan, ever the drama queen, paused for effect before answering. 

“We have decided to join you, on one condition.” Sylas raised an eyebrow but didn’t say anything, motioning for him to continue. “We stay together. At all times.” Evan knew that with how small Sylas’s group was at the moment, and how much support he would need to organise any sort of takeover, they were at an advantage. As things were, Sylas had four men with him. How many more were aligned with him, Evan didn’t know, but with there being seven of them, Sylas was not in a position to deny them, unless he disagreed to their offer, in which case they would walk away. Evan did not think things would spill over into a fight, but even if it did, Sylas was outnumbered. What he did not expect, was for Sylas to double over in laughter. To be fair, it seemed this reaction was unexpected by everyone present, even his own men throwing uncertain glances at their leader. “I’ve gotta admit.” Sylas began as he caught his breath “You took me by surprise there. I like that. I need people who aren’t always going to agree with everything I do. I want people to have their own ideas and opinions. Constructive criticism, if you will.” 

Evan wasn’t really sure what to make of what Sylas was saying. It sounded positive, but the more he was speaking, the less comfortable Evan felt. So he decided to go for broke. “So does that mean we have a deal?” Sylas didn’t answer straight away, and Evan could feel something heavy settle in his stomach. This wasn’t looking good. He wanted to turn around, face his family and see what they were thinking about this situation but he knew he couldn’t. Whenever it came down to these sorts of talks, Evan always took the lead. Despite him and Tyler assuming equal responsibility for the decision making of their group, Tyler often let his emotions get the better of him. I was an unspoken decision that Evan handle the diplomatic side of things because he could keep his emotions in check where Tyler would generally fly off the handle.

“I’m sure you can appreciate the position you’ve put me in.” Sylas finally replied, and Evan could feel the sweat start to trickle down his back. “It’s true I need more numbers to better protect our little town, but I can’t just be recruiting anyone now can I? I need to know that I can trust you and that you can get the job done.” Sylas began to pace, one hand behind his back, other gesticulating wildly in the air. “But to find out if I can trust you, I need to take the risk of recruiting you, so the question remains. What to do…” 

Evan kept quiet. He knew the question was not for him, and he didn’t want to push Sylas any further. After a moment of tense silence, Sylas turned to face them once more, his face now deadly serious. “You will be put on trial. I will honour your condition, but I will need to see evidence that every single one of you is capable of protecting our community. Otherwise, every single one of you will cast out.” 

Evan shoved his hands in his jacket pockets, feigning nonchalance as he turned his back to Sylas and faced his friends, ignoring the prickling feeling of the hair on the back of his neck standing on end. He did this for two reasons, first, so he could make sure everyone was on board with the idea, and secondly, to prove a point. They weren’t going to be intimated by him, and there was nothing Sylas, or any of his men could do to break his faith in his family. “What do you say, boys?” He asked them all, but they weren’t facing him, choosing instead to stare down Sylas and his men as they replied with a chorus of ‘Sounds good to me’ and ‘I’m in.’ Evan turned his head and aimed a grin at Sylas. “Looks like you’ve got yourself a deal, sir.” Sylas spread his arms wide. “Fantastic. We will send a man when we need you.” Evan raised a hand in farewell. “Pleasure doing business with you.” Evan walked in between his friends and continued down the road, not stopping until they were well out of sight. 

When they had all rounded the last corner, and filed into their shared home, Evan sighed deeply, already dreading the next conversation. “So-“ “I don’t like him” David cut in, at the same time as Tyler said, “I don’t trust him as far as Jaren could throw him.” Evan just stared at the two, pointedly waiting for them to finish as Jaren let out an indignant “Hey!” at Tyler’s comment. “So, I don’t like him,” Evan started again “But we are in it now, so we need to be all together on this. We need to prove to him, whether we like it or not.” Evan raised his voice cutting over Marcel who had begun to voice his disapproval. “We need to prove to him that we are capable, so when these jobs come, everyone has to play a part, are we clear?” They all nodded, and even though Evan could tell Marcel was fuming and David hated every part of it, they didn’t voice their concerns. Evan brought them all in for a hug and felt the some of the tension melt out of his shoulders as Jonathan and Anthony put their arms around him. They could do this, they just had to be smart and look out for each other. As they broke apart, Jaren piped up. “So not to be that guy, but I’m starving. When’s breakfast?” and once more laughter rang out through the house, and Evan, for just a moment at least, could believe that they would really be okay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a reminder, I don't have a regular schedule for posting chapters, but I try to get one done every week. I'm aiming to have some more of the boys introduced in the next chapter, but we will have to see how it goes.
> 
> Thank you so much for reading!


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Plot is sort of happening in this one?

Tyler was sat on a low lying rock wall, M16 loosely held in his grasp, looking out over a suburban street on the outskirts of the city. Anthony, Marcel and Jaren were on his right, practically crying with laughter over something or the other, similar weapons at their sides. Ryan, David and Brian were opposite him, having a quiet conversation, along with Evan and Jonathan, who were stood a little ways away from the others. At the moment, they were guarding at the main entrance to the 30 or so city blocks they called home, as ordered by Silas. Tyler wasn’t expecting anyone to challenge them, but you could never be too careful, and the constant protection offered by Silas had led to him quickly rising up the ranks as the top contender for the leader position. It had been a few months since their tense meeting in the alley, and though their position had improved, they were still on edge. 

It had only been a day after they accepted Silas’s offer that two men appeared on their doorstep, who Tyler recognised as guards who had been with Silas the previous day. The men, Craig and John they had learned, had been deemed their handlers, and would come to tell them what they had been tasked with. At first, Silas just had them do simple tasks, and they made sure to play to their strengths. Brian with his impressive knowledge of firearms, and Jonathan with his ability to sneak in and out of anything immediately proved themselves valuable. Evan took the role as leader, and with Tyler and Marcel being the muscle, they made quite the intimidating picture. Jaren proved himself able to to talk them in and out of almost anything, and Anthony had many useful connections throughout their community. David could MacGyver anything and Ryan was able to patch them all up when they needed it. They were a completely self sufficient unit, and it didn’t take long for them to be trusted with more sensitive work. 

Silas kept true to his word, and only ever sent them out together. Often they were just patrolling or standing guard, looking tough to give a show of force to both the groups raiding their homes, and the people they were protecting. It quickly became apparent that Silas was playing a political game, aiming to solidify the view that he was the best protection for the community. The current leader, Benjamin, had responded in kind, and together the two groups were able to cooperate enough to provide security for their entire community. Rarely would the boys be sent out to scope out unsafe territory, and they were never told to fight unless it was absolutely necessary. They never completely trusted Silas, common sense and David telling them not to, but once the money started coming in, they all breathed a sigh of relief. They were kept on a payroll, even when the raids died down and though they weren’t sent out as often, but they were always the first choice for when a job did come up. At the moment, it was just guard duty and grocery shopping, finding food and supplies, and that suited Tyler just fine. 

Tyler turned his face up into the late afternoon sky and let his mind wander. Despite how well their choice to join Silas’s agenda had turned out, Tyler wasn’t going to be lulled into a false sense of security. At the end of the day, the only reason they had gone this way was to stay safe and together, and there was no cause in the world that would make him put either on the line, and he knew all the boys felt the same. So they all continued to be as cautious as possible, planning for every eventuality each time they went out. They were always armed, and they never let any one leave their line of sight. If they were going somewhere, if they doing something, they were going there and doing it together, regardless of the tactical nightmare it often left them in.

Tyler hadn’t really been listening to the chatter going on next to him, but he sure as hell noticed when it suddenly stopped. He stood and watched as Craig and John, easily recognisable even in the fading afternoon light, walked towards them. During their time in Silas’s employ, the group had grown close to them, even David had a certain fondness for the men, even if he didn’t fully trust them. So when they drew closer, it was easy to see that they were not as relaxed as normal. Tyler gripped his gun tighter and waited for Evan to make the first move, keeping an eye on his friends back as he approached the two. 

“Craig. John.” Evan greeted. “What brings you out here?” “Evan. Good to see you boys.” Craig stepped forward, nodding in greeting. “Business, I’m afraid. The big boss sent us out here to give you a message.” Craig’s voice was even, but Tyler could tell he was tense, and it was making him nervous. Evan shifted, putting his weight on one leg and shoved his hands in his pockets, a move Tyler had learned meant his friend was trying to feign indifference. “What’s that?” “He is bringing everyone in for a meeting, wants us all to be at the supermarket on Walker Street by sunset.” Evan nodded. “Anything else we should know?” At this Craig hesitated, and Tyler could see the other boys shifting in his peripheral. “We don’t know much…” Craig trailed off, looking back at John, who had a pinched look on his face. “Well what do you know?” Evan pressed, and Tyler felt his stomach drop when they didn’t answer immediately. What on earth was going on? Eventually John spoke up. “There is rumour floating around that Silas’s plan is changing. You heard about the raid over on Quay Street last night?” Tyler glanced at Brian, David and Jonathan out the corner of his eye, and they looked clueless as he was. “Yeah I heard.” Anthony spoke up from somewhere behind him. “Heard some of Benjie’s men were involved.” It didn’t surprise Tyler that Anthony had heard about this before any of them. When they started doing work for Silas, Anthony had made it his business to know everything about everyone. He had more connections than a train station. 

“Did you also hear that he lost fourteen people before they managed to fend them off?” John asked, and the shock that crossed Anthony’s features told them everything. David visibly stiffened beside him, and somewhere behind him Jaren sucked in a sharp breath as the processed that fourteen people were dead. Tyler’s blood had run cold, Ryan let out a quiet curse behind him just as a disbelieving Marcel blurted out a shocked “What?”. That had to be at least half of Benjamin’s group. He looked back to Evan, who had somehow managed to keep his composure, and he could see his mind going a mile a minute even from behind. “…He’s going to try and stage a takeover isn’t he?” Evan asked quietly to no body in particular. Tyler was floored by the suggestion. Brian audibly choked and Jonathan started like he had been physically struck from where he stood on Tyler’s left. If Silas made a move without a vote it would be seen as a coup. The consequences of a move like that… Tyler couldn’t even think about it. “We don’t know what the plan is.” Craig answered, looking as serious as Tyler had ever seen him. “All we know is that a meeting has been called, and Silas wants every single one of us there.” Evan nodded, rocking back on his heels. “We’ll be there.” Craig visibly relaxed at Evan’s acceptance, and raised a hand in farewell. “See you later then.” Evan returned the wave, and together Craig and John both turned and headed back to the settlement. 

Evan waited until the men were out of sight before turning to face them, his face grave. “I don’t trust this.” David came out and said what they were all thinking, but Tyler was surprised when Evan nodded. “I know, neither do I. But we don’t know what’s really going on here.” “Craig was right.” Brian agreed. “All we know for sure is that Silas wants to bring us all together for something, and if we want to know why, we have to go to that meeting.” Tyler had the worst feeling about the situation, but Brian was right. In order to keep themselves safe they had to know what they were up against. “But we can’t go in unprepared.” Ryan spoke up. “We don’t know what’s happening, or how it’s going to go down.” “We need contingency plans.” Jonathan agreed. “Hang on a sec. What we need to decide is whose side we are on here.” Everybody looked to Marcel, who had spoken for the first time. “We can’t make an informed decision before we even know what’s happening.” Anthony replied, and Marcel turned to face him, annoyed. “If this goes wrong, and I think we all know it will, we can’t be stuck deciding what we are going to do, Anthony." He shot back. “We need to make a decision and run with it.” Jaren stepped into the middle of the two, trying to defuse the growing hostility between them as they went toe to toe. “Guys, c’mon. You’ve both got points but fighting isn’t gonna help us is it?” “He’s right, you both need to calm down.” Tyler agreed. “We need to do this as a family, not a bunch of toddlers.” 

“We are going to the meeting.” Evan spoke up, a sense of finality in voice garnering him everyones full attention. “We will go together as we always do, and stay by one of the doors. We keep quiet, we keep a low profile, and we will re-evaluate when we have all the facts. We aren’t making any decisions until we know what we are up against.” Evan looked all of them in the eye, and everyone nodded, voicing their agreement. When his eyes reached Tyler’s, he raised an eyebrow. “Sound good?” Despite him taking the role as leader of their friends, Evan always made sure to run his decisions by Tyler. Before they met anyone else, they worked as a pair and even after they picked up the rest of their friends they still made the decisions together. It was Evan’s clear head that made him the better choice for the leadership role, and Tyler didn’t resent him for that. But even still, Evan never made an important decision unless he ran it by Tyler first, and the gratitude Tyler felt for his oldest friend would never waver. So Tyler gave a thumbs up, and with that the decision was made, and they made their way home to wait out the sun and prepare themselves for the fallout.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kudos and Comments are appreciated!
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	5. Chapter 5

Evan couldn’t remember another time where he was so impatient for something he didn’t want to happen. They had made sure to come early, and as the old supermarket began to fill up, he could feel the tension rising from where he stood, leant against the doorframe of a back entrance to the store. By now, everyone had gathered, and even if they didn’t know precisely why they had been told to come here, something big was definitely happening. A meeting like this had never been called as long as they had been under Silas’s employ. He had watched Anthony and Jaren peel away from them once others had started arriving, going from group to group, some perched on shelves that had been pushed to the outer walls, others behind the old checkouts. Despite his promise that they would all stay together, Evan had allowed this. He knew they needed all the information they could get on everyone in the room if this didn’t go well. Between Jaren’s quick mind and charm, and Anthony’s knowledge of everyone and everything that went on, he was sure that if there was anything worth knowing, they would find it. 

Evan turned his head away from the crowd to look at the rest of his friends. Tyler was crouched to the left of him, watching the room. He knew that Tyler hated this, probably the most out of their friends, but Tyler trusted him, and Evan hoped that his trust hadn’t been misplaced. After all, it was him that had got them into this in the first place. David was leaning on the wall a few paces down from Tyler, next to Brian, who was sat at David’s feet. Both of them had scowls on their faces, looking out over the room like it had insulted their mother. To his right was Jonathan, who had appropriated a chair from somewhere and was sat on it backward, arms resting on the back of it supporting his head. His face was hidden beneath his hood so Evan couldn’t see his expression, but Evan could picture the blank mask his friend had worn the whole way there in his mind. Ryan and Marcel were sat behind him, having a quiet conversation in hushed tones. Marcel looked like he was ready to punch someone, and Ryan just looked sad. 

Evan sighed and turned to watch as he heard Jaren and Anthony’s laughter float across the room to him. They seemed to be carefree, unworried about what was going on, chatting with some of the men that had joined Silas around the same time they did. But Evan could see through them, the tightness around Anthony’s eyes and the tension in Jaren’s shoulders told him all he needed to know about how they felt. Evan couldn’t deny that he felt responsible for the situation they were in, and even though he didn’t regret the decision he made, he knew that if the time came, they would all look to him to get them out of there. And Evan wasn’t sure he was going to be able to get them all out in one piece, especially if this meeting went the way he thought it was going to. 

From their vantage point at the back of the room, Evan saw as the doors opened and Silas stepped forward with a couple of men in tow, including Craig and John. Everyone went silent immediately, and as people moved to let Silas through, Anthony and Jaren made their way back to them. Evan stepped forward from the wall as Anthony passed and caught his eye. Anthony gave him a slight nod, indicating that they had heard something of note. Evan returned the gesture, and jerked his head to the side, silently telling him they’d talk later. They moved behind him without complaint, and Evan returned his attention to Silas, who was making his way to the centre of the room, greeting people as he went. 

When he glanced at the people who had followed Silas in, he noted that some of them looked uncomfortable. Craig and John, along with three other men. One was a tall, lanky man with sandy brown hair, whose eyes never stopped scanning the room. Next to him was a shorter, stockier man with a beard, who’s hand never left the pistol holstered at his side. The last guy was a man with darker hair, who couldn’t seem to sit still. “You seeing what I’m seeing?” Evan murmured, just loud enough so that Tyler could hear him. “I do” Tyler replied, bracing a hand on his knee as he stood. “They want to be anywhere other than there right now.” “Discourse in the ranks…?” Evan wondered aloud, watching as Craig whispered something to the man with the brown hair, shoulders hunched around his ears. “Get Anthony on it, but send Brain and Jonathan with him. Everyone else stays close. Anything starts looking dicey, and they come straight back here.” Tyler nodded and slipped out of his periphery, just as Silas began addressing the room.

“Hello everyone! Thank you all for coming at such short notice. I know it wasn’t very convenient for a lot of you to come out of your way to attend, but your loyalty warms my heart.” A murmur went through the crowd at this, and Evan recalled the ‘invitation’ they had received that afternoon. He wondered if any of the other groups had received the extra info Craig and John had given them. He saw Jonathan, followed by Anthony and then Brian, edging around the right-hand side of the room, unnoticed yet by anyone in Silas’s party. Including Craig, John, and the three men they had come in with, there were an additional six that were keeping an eye on the room. Evan knew his friends would be careful, Jonathan would see them sneak safely across the room, and Brian would provide extra muscle if something were to happen, but Evan still worried, almost missing it when Silas began speaking again. 

“I’m afraid I have to deliver some bad news. Last night, a rival group attacked. They were repelled by Benjamin and his crew, but not before they sustained heavy losses.” Silas waited for a beat as a rumble of shock went through the crowd, and continued to speak. “While this is a truly terrible occurrence, and time has not yet been taken to mourn the dead, we cannot afford to lose vigilance! If these monstrous people see that we are vulnerable to another attack, they will strike again. They will burn our homes and take our hard-won food and supplies. They will raid and pillage our community, an attack which Benjamin and his men are no longer equipped to defend us from!” This divided the room, Evan watching some of the groups nodded along, and others looked less convinced. 

Glancing back at his friends across the room, they had made it to the side closest to Craig, but there was no way to catch his attention without alerting everyone else as well. They were stuck, and they were looking in Evan’s direction, asking him what to do from there. Evan raised his hand slightly, asking them to wait as he quickly glanced around. Silas continued to speak, riling up the room, turning murmured discussions into loud conversations between opposing points of view, as Evan tried to figure what they were going to do. It was then that he noticed that Silas’s guards were watching the room intensely as tensions were rising, and a plan formed in his head. Evan waited until John was looking his way, and stepped forward, drawing his eye. He could feel Tyler’s gaze on his back as John raised an eyebrow in question, and Evan tilted his head in Anthony, Brian and Jonathan’s direction. John glanced over and caught sight of them, looking back to Evan as understanding dawned on his features, and gave a barely perceptible dip of his head. Evan stepped back next to his friends, Marcel and Tyler flanking him on either side.

“We must do what’s right for our community!” Silas bellowed, and half the room roared in agreement. “Benjamin can no longer offer enough protection for everyone. We have to stand up, take control, and protect those who have come to depend on us to provide for them!” He shouted, and Evan could feel the dread settling in his chest. He sent a worried glance to his three friends headed their way. They were about halfway back to them now, but Silas had the room worked into a frenzy. “Ready yourselves, for tomorrow, we inherit the role of protectors for this town! Whether Benjamin wants to give it up or not!” Silas cried, and about two-thirds of the room yelled out their support. Evan could only feel a dawning horror as he realised that Silas aimed to take over from Benjamin by force. Anthony, Brian, and Jonathan had made it back to them now, but any relief Evan felt at having them back at his sides was overshadowed by the sick feeling he got thinking about what was in store. “We aim to make our move by nightfall tomorrow. Every single one of you will be needed, and I expect to see you here tomorrow at midday to begin planning this operation.” Silas looked around the room as he said this, and Evan felt the hairs on the back of neck stand up when they made eye contact. “You are dismissed! Get a good nights rest and come prepared.” Evan watched as the groups around them began to disperse, some making hasty exits, but most were heading towards the main doors, congratulating and chatting with Silas a few of his men. Craig caught his eye, a worried look on his face, motioning for them to go, and Evan didn’t need to be told twice. 

“We’re leaving.” He announced, and with one final look at the emptying room, he turned and ducked through the door David was holding open. They stepped out into a back alley, and made their way to the street, pausing at the alley entrance to watch as people poured out the front of the building. After a moment, Jonathan nudged Evan, pointing to a small group of people who had gathered across the supermarket under a streetlamp. When closer inspection revealed them to be Craig, John, and the three men they were with before, Evan turned back to his friends. “Anthony, Jaren, you found out something interesting earlier?” Evan asked. Anthony nodded as Jaren began to explain. “Turns out that not everybody is as loyal to Silas as he thinks. Some folks bat for both Benjie and Silas’s team.” “So you can bet that Benjamin will be told about what happened tonight then.” Marcel deadpanned, and Evan sighed, rubbing a hand on his forehead. “Well, that makes things a bit more complicated. But we have another problem.” “You’re talking about Craig, John and those three guys aren’t you?” Ryan piped up. “They didn’t look so loyal to Silas.” Tyler mused, peeking back out onto the street. “And they are still stood there, they must be waiting for us.” “Can we really trust them, though?” David asked, and nobody had a good answer. Brian sighed, placing his hands on the back of his head. “We don’t have to trust them completely. Just enough to not sell us out to Silas.” “They did give us that extra info earlier.” Anthony agreed. “Nobody we talked to in there had any idea what was going on.” Evan was surprised at this. The room had seemed shocked when Silas had broken the news but had they really not told anyone else? “Are you positive, Anthony? I trust you, but I don’t want to make a decision unless you are one hundred percent sure.” “I’m sure.” He replied, and Evan nodded, straightening up as he looked to each of them in turn. “So we trust them. Not completely, but enough to return the favour they did by warning us. Then we see what happens, and go from there. Do we all agree?” After a moments deliberation, everyone nodded, and Evan let out a slow breath. “Okay.”

As a group they move out from the alley and into the streetlight, cutting across and stopping a few feet away from where Craig and the others stood, hunched over against the cold night. Craig approached, hands shoved in his pockets, head down low. “We appreciate the warning you gave us,” Evan said by ways of introduction, not wanting to waste time out in the open on pleasantries. Craig nodded. “As much as we didn’t want it to be true, we couldn’t let you go in there unprepared.” “Looked like you didn’t want to be there any more than we did,” Tyler observed, and Craig winced, John and the men behind him all shifting nervously. “The whole reason we joined Silas in the first place was 'cause we thought he was the best bet for protection. For us and for the rest of the people in this part of the city.” Craig began, looking up at Evan and imploring him to believe him. “But after today, with the rumours about the take over turning out to be true, we are starting to wonder about some other things we’ve heard. We didn’t join him cause we knew he wanted to take over like this. We wanted to keep ourselves safe, just like you did.”

Evan couldn’t help it, he felt for them, he really did. But his priority was his family, and he couldn’t let concern for anyone else put them in danger. “What other rumours have you heard?” Craig turned to look at the men behind him, and Evan watched as they all looked between each other, having a silent conversation. Tyler huffed impatiently, and Evan shifted his weight to his left foot as he waited. They came to a decision, and the man with the beard took a step forward next to Craig. “There has been talk that Silas doesn’t plan to stop once he takes over from Benjamin. Some of the men are saying that once he does, he is planning to expand his territory, and take on the violent groups that are behind all the raids.” Evan could feel the blood drain from his face, and when he turned to look at Tyler, he could see the horror in his friends' eyes. If what they were saying was right, they were going to be fighting the groups they had all spent their post-apocalyptic lives running from. The odds of them all surviving a conflict like that would be next to none, and the peaceful life they had spent so many years working for would be torn to shreds.

“We didn’t want to believe it before, just thought people were gossiping, you know? But now…” Craig couldn’t finish, and Evan couldn’t blame him. His mind was whirling, he just couldn’t believe that anyone would risk all they had worked so hard to build on revenge. Tyler put a hand on Evan’s shoulder and whispered frantically in his ear. “We can’t do this here, anyone could be listening.” Evan nodded and waved the five men over. “We are too out in the open for this conversation. Come back with us, we can put you up for a night and talk some more in private.” Shock crossed all five men’s faces at Evan’s offer, but after a moment, Craig recovered. “Uhh, give us a minute.” He and the bearded man returned to the rest of their team, and immediately they started to argue. Evan shoved his hands in his pockets and let out a deep breath, watching it turn to steam in the cold air. It seemed they couldn’t come to a general consensus. Craig, John and the bearded man seemed to want to come along, but the taller man and the guy with the black hair were against the idea. Despite their all the frantic whispering and wild gestures, it didn’t take long for them to approach and agree to come back with them. “Alright, home we go.” Evan turned and began to make his way back, trusting everyone to follow. As murmured conversations started up from behind, Tyler and Jonathan fell into step beside him. “Are we sure about this?” Jonathan asked, face still hidden beneath his hood. “We don’t have much of a choice,” Tyler replied. “They turned out to be right about the takeover, and they are the only ones that can tell us what else might be in store.” Evan sighed, looking up to the stars. “I just hope that they are wrong about what’s coming next.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments and kudos are appreciated!


	6. Chapter 6

Tyler was lying on his back on the roof of the home he shared with his friends, gazing up at the stars. It was late, and though none of his family inside were sleeping, he was alone. They had made it home hours ago, but between the meeting, and the new accomplices they had brought with them, nobody was able to sleep. When he had made his way up to the rooftop, Evan and Jonathan had been sat by the door, deep in conversation. Their heads were close, and they were speaking in soft voices. Jaren, Ryan, Marcel, and Anthony had been hosting Craig and John, as well as the three other men, Scotty, Luke and Lui, all squeezed in and around their small sofa. David and Brian had been silent throughout most of the night, and they were currently in the kitchen, where they were making David’s famous stew.

Tyler took a swig from his can of warm creaming soda and rested it against his bent knee, his opposite leg lazily hanging over the edge of the roof. He had snagged it when he had climbed out the window of one of the bedrooms the boys shared. Despite David having rigged up a generator to give them power ages ago, the boys had yet to find a working fridge, so they tended to just keep drinks all around the house. Tyler himself had a stash of Pepsi hidden under the stairs, but with Evan and Jonathan eyeing him from the door, he knew that if they realised where he kept them, they would start ‘mysteriously’ disappearing. So he just nicked one of Marcel’s as he passed, cracked open the can and laid back, thinking over the events of the night.

When they had made it home, they had all filed in one by one, with Craig, John, Scotty, Luke and Lui escorted into their main room. The atmosphere had been tense, everyone was looking around at each other, and Tyler remembered watching Evan, waiting for him to make the first move. He had ended up in the kitchen, his hands braced on the counter top on and his head down, where Tyler couldn’t see his eyes. So much had already happened, and this should have been the easy part. Come home, debrief, and prepare for tomorrow. But now, they had three strangers and two acquaintances with questionable motives in their living room, and a decision to make. Right now, all they knew was that the man they worked for was planning a take over that could destroy everything they had built, or provide them with the safety they had all been so desperately searching for. Even though he wasn’t able to read his friends face, Tyler could see from his hunched shoulders and stiff posture that Evan was turning everything over in his mind. Eventually, Evan spoke. While his voice was much friendlier than it had been on the street, his tone still held a threatening edge to it, and his solid presence at the head of the room spoke volumes about the authority he held.

“Hypothetically,” Evan began, and all eyes fell on him. “If Silas succeeds in taking over from Benjamin, and decides he does want to… expand…what do we need to know.” It wasn’t a question, and although he hadn’t looked up from the counter in front of him, Craig and the others shifted nervously under Evan’s focus. It was John who finally spoke up. “He’s… hypothetically… planning to take on the more hostile groups first, removing any threats and stockpiling weapons and supplies. After that, he wants to assimilate the more peaceful ones. He wants everyone under his control. He believes the only way to be safe is to completely get rid of the competition.”

Tyler took another swallow from the drink in his hands and shut his eyes, recalling how they had all looked at each other in shock. Total unification of every group that had made their homes in the city was a pipe dream, a fantasy, and they all knew it. As much as everyone wished it could be true, that everything could return to how things were before everything had fallen apart around them, they knew it would never happen. Since the world had ended, all anyone wanted was to survive. On paper, banding together seemed like a good idea, sharing resources and protecting each other, but human beings were selfish and had a frightening inability to see the bigger picture. Even if everyone was in the same group, when a big enough obstacle presented itself, it wouldn’t be long until fighting broke out. It was what had led them to the collapse of their way of life in the first place.

The silence following John’s admission was deafening, but Evan hadn’t reacted to it, save for the tapping of his foot. Tyler had recognised it for what it was, not a nervous movement, but a tell for when his friend’s mind was elsewhere, planning and analysing all the facts he had. It was this focus in stressful situations that made Evan a natural leader, and Tyler had found himself more thankful for it then than he ever had. If anyone was going to get them all through this, he trusted it to be Evan. “So that’s what we are expecting tomorrow then? To make a move on one of the raiding groups?” Evan asked. The darker haired man, Lui, had answered him then. “We don’t think so.” Tyler raised an eyebrow, and Evan had lifted a hand, gesturing for him to carry on. After one final glance at his friends, he continued. “Tomorrow Silas wants to usurp Benjamin.” Evan’s head had snapped up at that, and Tyler had actually backed up a step in shock. Lui had rushed to clarify, “Peacefully! He doesn’t want to fight him, especially not since his whole angle is protecting those who cannot protect themselves. But he will if he feels he has to, and he isn’t known for giving many chances.” Evan had nodded, and Tyler had taken the chance to gauge his friends reaction. Evan’s face was guarded in front of the virtual strangers in their living room, but his eyes were unseeing, darting back and forth across invisible lines as his mind raced through the maze that was their situation. They had continued to talk, going back and forth for what felt like hours. Evan led the conversation, Anthony often jumping in with questions, grilling the other group for info. Eventually, when they had learned everything they could, they decided to let Craig and the others stay the night, and head off to the meeting together. At the very least it would be a show of allegiance, which could work in their favour if Silas decided to get a bit more hands-on with his takeover.

Tyler sighed and lifted his head, gazing across the rooftops and into the distance. As much as he trusted Evan, he was worried. His friend had this uncanny ability to pull ideas from nowhere and get them through impossible situations with surprising ease, but this time it was so much bigger than just them. Tyler stared out into the city, the glow from the streetlamps highlighting a city skyline framed by an impossibly bright starry sky. The apocalypse had had some benefits, he supposed. You could actually see stars now, and it had given him his family. His thoughts strayed back to his parents, briefly wondering if they had survived this long. He shook those thoughts away, draining the last of his cooling drink and allowing his head to fall back onto the shingles. It was never a good idea to dwell on the past.

“I was wondering where you had got to.” Evan’s voice floated up to him from below, ripping him from his thoughts. Evan shoved his dangling foot out the way as he clambered out the window and up next to him, and Tyler shifted over to allow his friend some more room. He watched as Evan settled back on his elbows next to him, raising an eyebrow at the empty soft drink. “Marcel’s gonna flip when he finds another one gone.” “Well he should hide his shit better if he doesn’t want it going missing.” Tyler replied, “Did you need something?” Evan turned his gaze toward the city, closing his eyes as the breeze ruffled his hair. “Brain and David sent me to find you, foods nearly up and David wants me to tell you that he’s not responsible if you’re late and Jaren eats it all again.” Tyler laughed at that, remembering the way he’d chased Jaren around their house last time that had happened, much to the amusement of the rest of their friends.“Best make our way back inside then.” Tyler surmised, but neither of them moved, wanting to stretch the moment of peace out as long as possible.

“What do you think about Craig and his lot? Trustworthy?” Evan asked, moving to lay back on the tiles as he spoke, tilting his head back to face the sky. Tyler sighed and brought a hand up to rest under his head, swinging his leg as he thought. “I’m not sure, they have given us some useful info, but they are a part of Silas’s mob, so they could also be setting us up.” Tyler mused. “That was my concern as well,” Evan agreed. “But then why come back with us? Why give us all this info and not report back?” Tyler had to admit, he had a point there. But that still didn’t mean he completely trusted them. With all that was going on, they had to be careful, and Tyler knew that even if the men downstairs meant well, trouble could still find itself landing on their doorstep.

Tyler turned to his oldest friend, tracing his worn posture and tired eyes, still shut, with his own. As much as Evan tried to hide it, Tyler knew how much strain he put himself under, trying to do his best for them, making sure they were all safe and cared for, often times at the expense of his own health. His eyes dropped to his friends side, the image of Evan on that cot after he’d been shot while trying to save his life forever burned into his memory. “How you holding up?” Tyler asked, trying to sound unconcerned. Evan turned his head and opened his eyes, letting Tyler know he’d failed. “Honestly?” Evan asked, a small, sad smile on his face, “I’m at a complete loss. I have no idea what is going to happen.” Tyler nodded, looking back out over the city as his friend continued. “But I do know what we are going to do tomorrow.” “Yeah?” Tyler replied, relief flooding him. Evan had pulled another one out of the bag again. “Yeah, we-”

“Oi! You two quit yer snogging and get your asses down here! We ain’t telling you again!” Brian yelled at them, and two boys laughed at the Irishman’s interruption. Evan stood and held a hand out to help Tyler up “Come on. I’ll tell you downstairs with the others, save me having to repeat myself.” Tyler snorted, taking the offered hand, following Evan as he lowered himself down from the gutter and swung himself back in the window. “You and I both know you love the sound of your own voice too much to stop you.” Evan chuckled, closing the window behind him as he stumbled in, his height making re-entering an awkward experience.

They went down the stairs together, meeting everyone who had already started eating. With the extra people they had adopted for the night, everyone was sprawled around the living room and kitchen. Marcel, Scotty, Jaren and John were sat on the kitchen bench, laughing about something, while Jonathan, Ryan, Luke, Lui, Anthony and David were sat at the table, having a loud conversation about the foods they missed from before. Craig and Brian were sat on the sofa, chatting animatedly, and Tyler couldn’t help but feel a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. After the night they had all had, to see his friends enjoying themselves made his heart a little lighter.

“Get a plate, Tyler. Jaren’s already going back for seconds.” Evan called over his shoulder, already halfway to the kitchen, where Jaren indeed was spooning himself a large helping of stew. “Jesus Jaren, let it touch the sides will ya?” He grumbled. “Not my fault you never come to dinner right away. Losing track of time in your old age?” The younger man shot back, dancing out the way as Tyler made a grab at him on his way passed. “You gave me these grey hairs, dude.” Tyler deadpanned, reaching over to mess up the mans hair.

Evan handed him the ladle, letting him get his dinner as he called for everyones attention, outlining his plan. “We are going to keep things as simple as possible. We go to the meeting, hear Silas out, and regroup, the same as last time. Anything goes pear-shaped, we get the hell out of Dodge” “If Silas was going to stage a takeover then we may not get time to talk it over.” Ryan pointed out and Evan conceded. “If it comes to that, we will go along, but we will not take an active role.” A murmur went around the room, Tyler himself feeling a little uncomfortable about the possibility of getting caught up in something they weren’t prepared for. “It’s better than painting a target on our backs by refusing.” Evan stated, and Luke voiced agreement. “Silas will be watching, anybody not on board will be treated as a threat.” The room went quiet, and Tyler took the chance to show his support, placing a hand on Evan’s shoulder as he made his way behind him. “We won’t be in any danger yet. With Benjamin’s group mourning their dead, they won’t be prepared for a fight. We can reassess once we know what’s happening with the more violent takeovers.” 

Evan leaned into his grip, expressing his thanks, and slowly the rest of the room came around. After that, conversation started up again, and as everyone finished what was left of the stew, they began to settle in for the night. John thanked them all for letting them stay, Craig and Scotty setting up the extra blankets and pillows they could spare on the sofa and chairs. Lui and Luke were helping Jaren and Ryan wash up, the rest of the boys upstairs. There were four bed rooms upstairs which they shared. Tyler, along with Evan and Jonathan, shared the room closest to the stairs, next to the bathroom. Marcel and Anthony had the room on the other side of the bathroom, and Ryan and Jaren were across the hall. David and Brian shared the last room, but when Tyler went upstairs, he found them all crowded in his, Evan’s and Jonathan’s room, makeshift beds getting set up on the floor.

“What’s going on in here?” He asked, picking his way between tangled limbs and over heads, collapsing onto his bed which had been shoved unceremoniously into a corner. “Sleepover.” Anthony announced from the floor, kicking his way out of his jeans. “Haven’t had one in ages.” Marcel elaborated. “And besides, somebody keeps drinking my soda, so I want you all where I can keep my eyes on you fuckers.” Laughter rang out in the room, Evan giving him a look that said ‘I told you so’ from where his bed was on his right. After everyone was settled, Tyler laid back and watched his family winding down for the night. Evan was lightly snoring with an arm thrown across his eyes, Ryan and Jaren were asleep, and Anthony was sprawled out with his mouth open. Marcel and Brian were having a quiet conversation, David was in the bathroom, and Jonathan, who was always the last to go to sleep, was sat with his back against the wall, eyes shut but alert.

Tyler let out a deep breath, shutting his eyes and tried to calm his mind. The sounds of his friends all around him, while a bit more than he was used to, provided some welcome background noise to his thoughts. His mind wandered to their plan for tomorrow morning, and he found he wasn’t too worried. Even as unprepared for this as they were, he had faith in his family. They would make it out alright.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this part took so long, got stuck somewhere around the middle, but I'm happy with the way this has turned out! Please leave a kudos or a comment if you enjoyed


	7. Chapter 7

Evan groaned as he woke, shoving his face further into the cot as he attempted to escape the light that was shining on to his eyes. He hadn’t remembered falling asleep, and as he lifted himself onto his elbows and glanced around the room, he could see that everyone had ended up in a tangle of limbs as well. At some point during the night, someone had stolen his pillow, and his blanket was half draped over him and half on the floor, creating a sort of tent for Marcel who had somehow made it under his cot. Looking out over the room, he noticed that Jonathan and Ryan had ended up with their legs tangled together. Anthony was spread like a starfish with David using one of his legs as a headrest, and Ryan’s arm was thrown over Brian, who was pressed against the far wall. Jaren was curled into a ball near the door, squished between Anthony, David, and Ryan. Out of all of them, Tyler was the only other one awake, looking very amused by Evan’s assessment of the room. He had managed to keep his pillow, but his blanket was missing, stolen by one of the boys on the floor.

“Good morning” Tyler quietly greeted, his voice bright despite the low volume. “Mornin’” Evan yawned in response, rolling carefully onto his side to avoid waking Marcel. “Our guests downstairs awake?” Evan asked, squinting against the light shining from behind his friend. Tyler shrugged “Haven’t heard them yet.” he replied, watching as Jonathan shifted in his sleep, jostling Ryan and Brian. Evan glanced at the watch he still wore, and upon seeing the time he sighed, letting his hand fall. They had some time before the meeting was due to start, but they needed to get going now if they were going to have enough time to prepare. 

Evan swung his legs over the side of the cot, resting his elbows on his knees as he contemplated how to best wake everyone in the room. He looked at Tyler who was grinning at him, a mischievous glint in his eyes. Evan returned the grin, deciding to hell with it, and laid back down, adjusting so he was leaning over the edge of his cot as Tyler did the same. Evan held up three fingers, silently counting down. When he reached zero, he quickly punched Marcel in the side as Tyler bent over and ripped his missing blanket out from under Anthony. They quickly laid back down, pretending to be asleep as they listened to Marcel let out a string of curses, Anthony grunting as he was roughly shoved to the side, David’s head dropping to the floor as he moved. “What the fock man?” David grumbled, sitting up and bumping into Jaren. Evan had to bite his lip to keep from laughing as he watched the chain reaction, and soon everyone in the room was awake. Ryan was blinking owlishly, Brian was face down on the floor groaning, and Jonathan was looking pissed. Glancing at Tyler, Evan could see his shoulders shaking slightly with barely suppressed laughter, his back turned.

“Alright, why am I awake at the ass crack of dawn?” Jaren asked from across the room. “Cause Anthony socked me in the gut.” groused Marcel. All Evan could see from his place was Anthony sit up with an outrageously confused and offended look on his face, and Evan nearly lost it right then and there. “I did not! Somebody shoved me first!” “Well, you were taking up the entire room.” Brian pointed out, sounding pained from his corner of the room. “Like hell I was” Anthony retorted. “You were hogging the entire floor, man. David was practically on top of you.” Jonathan grumbled. “Yeah well, at least I wasn’t being spooned by Ryan the whole night.” Anthony fired back, and Ryan let out a disgruntled “Hey! I’ll have you know my cuddles are the best.” This caused the room to erupt into laughter, the tension disappearing without a second thought. “Are you ladies done waking up the whole neighbourhood?” Tyler questioned from his bed, having rolled over to watch the argument. “Honestly, you guys have no respect for others.” Evan continued, catching the smirk Tyler gave him out of the corner of his eye.

“Whatever, I’m going back to sleep.” Marcel yawned, pulling the rest of Evan’s blanket off the bed. “No, you’re not,” Evan said, grunting as he yanked the blanket back off of Marcel. “In case you all forgot, we have another meeting to attend. Even if it is at midday, we have to use all the time we have to plan everything out as best we can. Besides, we have guests downstairs to entertain.” Evan’s reminder of the days' events was sobering, the entire room falling quiet for a moment as the same tension that had been hanging over them all yesterday returned full force. “So… What’s for breakfast then?” David asked, and just like that, it was gone. The room was filled with laughter once more, and one by one they all got up. Ryan got up first, offering to make a run for some food, as they wouldn’t have enough with all the extra people. Jaren, Brian, and Jonathan offered to go with him, but Tyler and Anthony were the first downstairs to check on the visitors in their living room. Evan, Marcel, and David followed soon after, just in time to say goodbye as Jaren and Brian were shrugging on their coats, Jonathan peering out into the alley as Ryan held open the door.

Turning into the living room, Evan took in the state of their floor. Bunched together were the cushions from their sofa and the armchair, making a sort of nest. All their spare blankets were there as well, plus all the extra pillows they could find. Scotty was still in there, awake with his arms under his chin watching them as they walked in. He had warmed up to them a little during the night, but it was evident that he didn’t entirely trust them. Evan could respect his skepticism, as he wasn’t too sure about them either. Luke, Anthony, Marcel, and John were off to the side, having a quiet discussion between themselves, and Craig and Lui were already talking with Tyler and David at the table. “Morning Craig, Lui.” Evan greeted, taking a seat next to them. “Jonathan and the rest have gone out to get some breakfast, they won’t be too long.” “You are too kind,” Craig answered. "I want to thank you again for your hospitality.” Evan smiled and sat back. “Not at all, it is the least we can do considering all that you’ve done for us.” 

At his answer, the chatter around the room went suspiciously silent, and Evan became aware of every set of ears in the room being trained on their conversation. He had planned to do some business while waiting for the boys return, and it now seemed like he wasn’t the only one. Craig shifted in his seat, placing his elbows on the table, but Evan stayed where he was. Despite their aligning views on where things were headed, Evan wasn’t about to stake his family on the discretion of someone who was hedging his bets with Silas. So he was going to treat this like a negotiation, shoving his hands in his pockets and keeping his face clear. 

“Perhaps we could come to an arrangement then. A sort of you scratch our backs, and we’ll scratch yours agreement.” Craig proposed, and Evan smiled, gesturing for him to continue. He was curious, and honestly, he hadn’t expected this sort of talk so early. They must have been discussing their options once they had separated for the night. “We will continue to stick with Silas. However, we will provide you with information as we learn it. In return, you keep our involvement with you on the down low, and if things do turn to shit, you’ll help us get out of there.” Evan nodded slowly, looking up to the ceiling as he considered. All in all, it wasn’t a bad trade, all they had to do was keep to themselves in return for information that could end up saving their lives. What troubled him was the last bit, getting them out of danger should things go wrong. While their group was larger, they would be putting themselves at considerable risk if they got involved with a dispute like that. Their plan had always been to run if things got dicey, and it had kept them all alive. As much as they needed information, they could be risking a lot more if the situation deteriorated any further. 

Evan turned his head to face Tyler, raising an eyebrow in question once he had caught his gaze. Tyler’s face was not as impassive as it usually was, hesitation slipping through his hard-set mouth and downturned eyes. Evan knew that Tyler had reached the same conclusion as him, but couldn’t see a clear answer. When their eyes met, Evan could tell Tyler was torn as to how best to keep them safe. But what surprised him was Tyler’s shrug. While it seemed nonchalant, Evan saw it for what it was, Tyler giving Evan the go-ahead to make the decision. Typically, Tyler was the more cautious of the two of them when it came to negotiations, preferring to analyse every angle and come to a well thought out conclusion or plan. Perhaps it was the time constraint or the unique circumstance of holding crisis talks with strangers at their table, but whatever it was didn’t diminish his trust in Evan it seemed.

Evan turned his head back to the ceiling and shut his eyes, his foot tapping as he mentally went over a list of pros and cons. They would be able to get useful info, having people on the inside, and they wouldn’t have to show their hand unless shit had already hit the fan. On the other hand, if things did out for the worse, they would be painting a massive target on their heads for both sides by running with some of Silas’s men. And if they were found out beforehand, or if this was some gigantic, well-planned trick, they were pretty much over. Evan sighed through his nose and opened his eyes, looking around the table at his friends, and the new faces in the room. They were all watching him, silent and on edge, and Evan knew he had to play his cards carefully.

“We will accept…” Evan stated finally, leaning forward and looking Craig dead in the eye as he spoke. The relief on Craig's face was evident, but he wasn’t finished yet. “On one condition.” Relief gave way to wariness as Craig appraised him, eyes calculating as he looked Evan over, and for the first time in a while, Evan felt as though he might have the upper hand. “Yeah…?” Craig prompted, and Evan took a deep breath before continuing. “We will keep our arrangement quiet, and we will help you in the event you need to get out quick. But, if we catch wind of anything, and that information doesn’t come from you, we are out.”

Craig sat back as he contemplated the counter offer, eyes on the wooden table in front of him, and Evan took the opportunity to glance at Tyler to see what he was thinking. Tyler’s eyes were on the room, but his posture was less strained, more contemplative than before, so Evan figured he hadn’t done too poorly. David was nodding absently as he thought things over, poker face lacking as usual. Anthony had his arms crossed and wasn’t giving anything away, but Evan knew his friend well enough to know that he wasn’t entirely unhappy with the situation. Marcel had a scowl on his face that said he was not pleased with the offer, but he was holding his tongue for now at least. Craig cleared his throat as he prepared to speak, and Evan’s eyes flicked back to the man across from him. “Do you mind if we talk this over?” Evan sat backed and waved a hand. “Not at all.” Immediately Craig and Lui rose from their seats and moved toward Luke and Scotty, Anthony and Marcel taking the initiative and crossing the room to give them their privacy, Anthony settling himself in Lui’s seat across from Tyler, and Marcel in front of Evan. 

“Not a bad offer Evan.” David murmured, keeping his voice low. “At the very least it will let us know if they are really on our side or not.” Tyler quietly agreed. “They’d be fools not to accept,” Panda added. “Not after all the risks they have taken.” “That might be true.” Evan conceded. “But we don’t have all the facts, and we still don’t know why they chose to come to us in the first place.” “Evan’s right,” Marcel whispered vehemently. “We don’t know what’s going on, or if they really are on our side at all. We’ve got to be careful, or we’re gonna get ourselves int trouble we won’t be able to wiggle out of this time.” They all paused at Marcel’s grim reminder, and Evan sighed, tired already and their day hadn’t even begun. “That being said, we need to have as many cards in our hands as possible if we are going to play this right. The information they are offering is the biggest trump card we’ve got.” “You and your damn card talk Evan,” David grumbled, and a low chuckle went through the group as Craig and the rest of his gang stood.

Immediately the room went quiet again, and as Craig and the rest made their way over, Evan stood to meet them halfway, his friends following him. “To make a long story short, we agree to your terms. We will provide information, you provide protection. We will meet on the outskirts of the city every week at sundown to exchange information. If anyone hears anything important sooner than the agreed meeting time, we will seek each other out. Deal?” Craig put a hand out, keeping his gaze squarely on Evan. Evan turned to look at Tyler and Anthony on his left, and then Marcel and David on his right, who all nodded their agreement. Evan turned back to Craig with a wide smile, grasping Craig’s hand firmly. “Deal.” 

After the arrangement was made, the room slowly filled with chatter again. Scotty opened up a bit, joking around with Lui, Luke, Marcel, Anthony, and Tyler. Craig, John, and Evan sat back, joining in with the banter every now and again, but mostly just watching their friends fool around. It wasn’t long before Brian, and the rest returned, Jaren leading the way proclaiming loudly that they had successfully returned from their ‘hunt.’ John made some wisecrack about the fruit Jaren was carrying being hard to catch, and the room was suddenly filled with laughter. Anthony and Marcel offered to prepare breakfast, which Luke and Craig insisted on helping with, and Tyler, David, and Evan brought the rest of their friends up to speed on the deal that had just been made. Both Brian and Jaren were a bit wary, unhappy with placing their trust in strangers with their own agendas, but Jonathan and Ryan were on board, and soon they managed to win everyone over.

Once breakfast was finished, fruit with cereals and bread, talk turned to the upcoming meeting. Evan kept mostly quiet this time, allowing his friends to handle things. He jumped in as necessary, nodding his approval or voicing his concern, but for now, he was content to watch. Evan looked around at his friends, marvelling at how much his family had grown. They had all come into their own while living in a wasteland, and he was happy to discover he felt more content at that moment than he had in a long time. He just hoped that the feeling would last past midday.


	8. Chapter 8

Tyler shifted uncomfortably, readjusting his position where he was leaning against the old shelves of the supermarket turned meeting place. They had left early that morning, wanting to set themselves up where they could make a quick getaway if need be, but also where they could get the most information from the room. This meeting was probably the most important one they had attended so far, and they were going to need all the help they could get if they were to navigate the minefield the situation was sure to become. He had situated his friends around their slice of the room strategically, and he was confident they painted an intimidating picture. Marcel, Brian, and Jonathan were sat on top of the shelves behind him, to keep an eye on the room, while Anthony, Evan, and Jaren were deep in conversation with Craig, Luke, and Scotty to his right. On his left were David, Ryan, John and Lui, all flanking the busted floor-length window, which was half-covered by the shelves they were camped by. They hadn’t bothered clearing the glass away but had made sure that if need be, they could all be out of there as soon as possible. There was some time before the meeting was due to kick-off, and other people were starting trickle in. Tyler scanned the room as people entered, his mind wandering back to earlier that morning.

When they had first woken up, they had been acting as they usually do, pranks, banter, and packed living rooms. The walk to the meeting place, on the other hand, had been tense, whispered conversations and quiet footsteps following him as he, Evan and Craig had led the way. Not much was said as they made their way, that conversation had happened once they had made their way into the building. “Same corner as last night?” Evan asked him. “No, remember how hard it was for Anthony and the rest to get back to us last time? We need a larger area, more room to spread out and to better blend in with the crowd.” Tyler replied, looking around the room. There weren’t many places that fit that description, but Tyler felt he could afford to be picky when the safety of his family was at stake. “The windows.” Craig supplied. “There is a broken window beside those shelves there that would provide a quick getaway and plenty of room.” Evan nodded. “As good a place as any, right?” Evan tilted his head in Tyler’s direction, directing the question to him. Tyler took a moment to survey the area Craig had suggested and nodded his consent. “I agree.” And now here they were, in the middle of a supermarket they didn’t want to be in, to maybe start a war they never signed up for.

The room was almost full now, people filling every corner of the supermarket. Most groups had set up in different parts of the room as well, but all were eyeing the doors where Silas and his men had come from the night before. Tyler quickly took stock of his family, making sure they were all accounted for. Everyone had moved closer together. Evan lounging on the wall to his right along with Anthony and Jaren, who were whispering to each other. David and Ryan were to his left, along with Marcel, in front of the open window. Brian and Jonathan were still on the shelves, Brian leaning on the back wall, eyes on the people in the room, and Jonathan resting his elbows on his knees, deceptively calm beneath his hood. Craig and his mob had moved closer to the doors, clustered tightly together. Tyler took a deep breath through his nose. He was still unsure about them and didn’t like staking their survival on people they didn’t know they could trust. But he trusted his family, he trusted Evan, so he kept his mouth shut.

The sound of the front doors swinging open had the room fall silent immediately. Tyler watched as Silas strode into the room, looking around at the people he had gathered. “It’s nice to see everyone here. I knew I could count on all of you to fight for the safety of our community.” Silas spread his arms wide, spinning in a slow circle at the centre of the room, taking his time to face everyone. Tyler shifted his weight to one foot, impatient for this to be over with. He hadn’t been keeping track at the time, but now he wasn’t sure if everyone had returned from last night. He hoped so, they had lost enough people already. 

“Now, since we all know why we are here, I won’t waste any more time. All of you have a role to play, so listen carefully.” Silas was silent a moment, before continuing. “We are meeting with Benjamin and his men in the park. I asked them to meet me there, along with everyone currently living in our district.” Tyler saw Evan cross his arms from the corner of his eye, forehead creasing in thought. Silas pointed to the three groups that lined the opposite wall of the room. “You all will line the edges of the park.” He moved to the group camped at the back of the room. “You will flank Benjamin’s group.” Tyler’s eyebrows shot up at that, and he saw David bristle at his side. Silas was going to force Benjamin’s retirement, and he wanted an audience to witness his show of force.

Then Silas turned to their side of the room. Tyler held his ground, meeting Silas’s eyes as they passed, not backing down as he assessed him and the others. “You, and you.” Silas pointed to the groups on either side of them. “You will flank my men and me while I speak with Benjamin.” Tyler let out a breath he didn’t know he had been holding. He had hoped they wouldn’t be put in the middle of everything, and it looks like he was getting his wish. “…And you.” He finally landed on them. “You will spread yourselves among the crowd. Make sure that everyone is safe.” Tyler turned his gaze to Evan, who met his eye and nodded. Silas clapped his hands and rubbed his palms together. “Wonderful!” We are all in agreement then. We meet at the park in an hour.” Tyler turned to Evan, who shoved his hands in his pockets and made for the window.

“Just a moment there, Evan.” Tyler froze, and he could see all his friends tense as they turned back around to face Silas, who was gesturing Evan forward. Tyler turned to his long-time friend and watched as he set his jaw and sauntered over, picking his way through the room. Tyler turned to Craig and his men, who looked just as confused as them. Luke caught his eye and raised his hands in a gesture of surrender. Tyler wasn’t sure if he bought it, but he was more concerned about Evan, who had Silas’s arm now slung over his shoulder. It looked friendly, but when Evan put his hands behind his back, and over the knife he kept on his belt, Tyler knew it was so Evan couldn’t get away. 

“What are they doing?” Brian hissed in his ear. “I don’t know,” Tyler admitted, eyes not leaving the scene as Silas and Evan had their conversation. “We have to get to him, who knows what is happening.” David made to move forward, and Tyler would have been right on his heels, had Evan not opened his hand wide behind his back, palm facing them. Tyler threw his arm in front of David, ignoring his shout of surprise, watching as Evan held two fingers up. “Why did you do that? We need to get to Evan!” Marcel frantically whispered. “Look at his hands,” Tyler replied. Evan tapped his thigh, and the repeated the sequence again. Open palm, two fingers, thigh tap. “Wait two minutes, then come.” Anthony interpreted for them, and Jonathan huffed impatiently, while Jaren shifted agitatedly. “I don’t like this.” Ryan breathed. “What if something happens?” “Then we’ll get him, no matter what sign language he throws at us,” Brian growled out, Marcel, David, and Jonathan nodding in agreement. “For now we just gotta trust Evan, he knows what he is doing. He’s had more experience with Silas than any of us.” Tyler reminded them, removing his hand from in front of David.

The room was slowly emptying, and Tyler tapped his foot impatiently. Jaren was anxiously chattering away behind him, Ryan and Marcel replying in low voices, trying to calm him. Brian and David flanked him either side, eyes trained on Evan’s back. Anthony was talking with the few remaining people in the supermarket, and Jonathan was off to the side, leant against the wall. Looking from Jonathan to Evan, Tyler realised it was so he had a clear line to their friend. Tyler heaved another sigh and turned his gaze back to Evan, whose shoulders were nearly around his ears from how tense he was. “How much longer do we give him?” David asked, and Tyler replied. “Thirty seconds. If he’s not making his way back here by then, we go to him.” They gave him twenty.

Silas pulled Evan in closer, and he startled at the sudden movement, which sent Jonathan running forward, the rest following without a second thought. Just as Jonathan reached him, Silas released Evan with a flourish. Silas laughed as Jonathan all but shoved Evan behind him, Tyler stepping to the front and the rest of their family surrounding Evan protectively. “You have a loyal group, Evan, I’m impressed. I can only hope that they will serve the cause with as much dedication as they serve you.” Tyler bristled at the insinuation, but it was Evan who spoke up in their defence. “They do not serve me, they are my family, nobody here serves anyone. Family protects each other, and you can be sure that this whole community is like an extended family. They took us in, even when we were nothing but more mouths to feed. We will give everything to ensure they are all safe.”

The room was silent for a beat, and Tyler could feel the sweat falling down the back of his neck. Was it wise to have directly contradicted him like that? Silas started smiling, and Tyler almost sagged in relief. “I see, I apologise. No offence was meant, of course. I am glad to hear that I can rely on your support going forward.” He turned and walked back to his men, which Tyler noticed did not include Craig and his lot. “I will see you all soon. Keep in mind what we talked about Evan.” 

Evan balled his hands into fists and nodded stiffly to Silas’s back. “I will.” With that, Evan turned his back and made his way to the window. Tyler followed close behind, too shocked to begin asking questions about what the hell just happened. “Evan-” he began, but he was cut off. “Not now, not here. We have a place to be.” Tyler held his tongue and moved to bring up the rear of the group, still unnerved by the whole situation as were the rest, the entire family in jitters. Jonathan hadn’t left Evan’s side since racing to it in the supermarket, and Brian was at the fore of the group, scanning the road for danger. Ryan, Anthony, and Jaren were clustered together, supporting each other, and Marcel and David had their weapons in their hands, ready for a fight. And Evan was uncharacteristically silent, shoulders high and hands fisted in his pockets. Whatever had been said had his friend more out of sorts than he had ever seen him. But Evan was right, they didn’t know who could be around right now. So he would bide his time, wait until they were alone. But if there was one thing Tyler knew, it was that he was definitely not letting this go.


	9. Chapter 9

Evan was merged with the crowd in the park, as were the rest of his friends. They had headed over as soon as they were done with the meeting, questions directed to him the whole way. Evan had brushed them all off, for the time being, both because it wasn’t safe, and because he needed a minute to process what had just happened. The conversation had been troubling, to say the least, but he was proud of his family and their loyalty. He just hoped his little speech had expressed that he felt the same way. 

When they made it to the park, most of the community was already gathered, spread around the edges. Because of the number of people gathered, they had to separate to provide security to the whole crowd. But after the events in the supermarket, it went about as well as a lead balloon. All of them had been very vocal about how much they hated the idea, but Evan had quietly talked them into it. He reminded them that this was the last thing they needed to do before they could all go home. He had promised that they would not get involved and that they would run at the first sign of danger. And while they hadn’t been entirely convinced, they trusted him. Which generally would fill him with affection for his family, but after the talk he had with Silas, all he felt was guilt.

Silas hadn’t arrived yet, but everyone else from the supermarket and Benjamins group had joined them now. The whole area was tense, and he could see the individual members of his family were feeling the strain too. Marcel and Ryan were noticeably silent, while Anthony and Jaren were chatting to everyone they came into contact with, eyes darting to where Benjamin was standing, arms crossed and stance strong at the centre of the crowd. Brian was visibly fuming, the people around giving him a wide berth, and David was just impatient, His foot tapping and face stormy. Jonathan had his hands shoved deep in his hoodie pocket, head down with his shoulders bunched, and Tyler was miles away in his own mind, his gaze occasionally flicking to look at him. 

Evan heaved a great sigh and turned his attention back the people around him, mind racing. He knew he owed them all an explanation, and he wanted nothing more than to share the burden with his family, have them all come together and work this out. But in the back of his mind, he couldn’t help but feel scared. Scared that they would blame him, that they would be split apart by the sheer enormity of what was happening. They trusted him implicitly, he knew that, but this suddenly just so much more dangerous for them, and he didn’t know what they could do anymore if there were any more safe options.

Evan was so caught up in his thoughts that he almost missed Silas arriving, the sudden quietening of the crowd alerting him to it. He was at the edge, moving inward towards Benjamin, the crowd parting like the red sea before him. Silas was obviously enjoying the attention, a broad grin on his face, greeting people as he went, and stopping a ways from where Benjamin stood, spreading his arms wide. 

“Benjamin, so nice of you to accept my invitation for this little chat.” A murmur of confusion went through the crowd, as Benjamin spoke up. “It does not do to be rude Silas, especially to those you respect. I must say, when you asked to speak to me, I assumed it would be a more private affair.” Evan blew out a surprised breath at Benjamin’s words, surprised at his bold and accurate barb. Had someone snitched the plan to him? This time the crowd burst out into surprised chatter, speculating as to why they had been invited to a private chat, and Evan took the opportunity to take stock of the people gathered. Nobody seemed to be acting out of the ordinary, although he couldn’t see everyone. He managed to catch Anthony’s eye, who had his brows drawn slightly together in confusion. Evan waved his hand in a circular motion in front of him, a sort of ‘go-on’ gesture he hoped Anthony could decipher as “Do you know who it was?” Anthony shrugged, and Evan wasn’t sure if that meant he didn’t know or didn’t understand him. He decided to shelve the issue for the moment, as silence returned, everyone waiting for Silas’s reply.

Silas hadn’t reacted to the thinly-veiled insult, grin remaining wide. “I agree, Benjamin, respect is a large factor of our community, isn’t it? Which is why, I admit, I wanted a bit of an audience. How can you expect people to respect you when they don’t see the going’s on of those in power? When they have to learn about the loss of their friends, the attacks on their homes, through gossip on the street?” The silence became deafening at his words, everyone taking a moment to catch up. He was talking about the recent raid, Evan realised, where Benjamin had lost most of his men. Benjamin’s face hardened, and his men clustered close to their leader, weapons on show. Silas’s men advanced as well, and suddenly everything looked a lot less diplomatic.

The crowd was still silent in shock, but Evan knew it wouldn’t last long if things continued this way. Evan turned to where Tyler was stood, to find he was already staring at him, just as worried as he was. Evan could hear voices now, and looking around the crowd, people were beginning to get anxious. He looked back to Tyler and pointed to the ground and then behind him, mouthing “Stay or Go?” Evan knew the business in the supermarket had really shaken Tyler, and if he was honest, he didn’t really know what to do. He would trust in what Tyler decided, just as his family had all trusted him. Tyler looked around quickly and pointed down. “Stay.” He mouthed just as the noise grew too loud to make out any individual voice, and Evan nodded, hoping that things didn’t turn into a fight before they could get away. Some might call it cowardly, but Evan called it a tactical retreat to protect what he cared about most.

“Now now, let’s not fight. That’s not what I gathered you all here for.” Silas’s voiced rang out through the park, and just like that, the crowd was quiet once more. The tension was still riding through the air, and Evan watched on as both Silas and Benjamin called off their men and walked toward each other, stopping when they were face to face. Since they were so close, it was impossible to hear what was being said, and Evan quickly checked on his family stationed in the crowd. They were all transfixed by Silas and Benjamin, and Evan resisted the urge to get closer to them. He wanted them all together and safe. He looked back to Benjamin and Silas, watching as they talked, much to quiet for anyone around them to hear. It looked tense, Benjamin’s hands were in fists, and Silas was speaking rapidly, using his height to lean down over Benjamin. They kept going, getting more and more agitated before Benjamin shouted suddenly.

“I will not accept this! You are using your influence to manipulate the people around you, and I will not allow you to force this onto us!” An audible gasp went through the crowd, and Evan was floored. He could not see Benjamin’s face, but he could see his shoulders heaving, hands still in fists, across from Silas, whose face was impassive, but even from where Evan was standing on the other side of the crowd, he could feel his chilling gaze. 

For a moment, nothing was said, and then Silas replied in a calm tone, with a dangerous undercurrent to it that made the hair on Evan’s neck stand up. “Benjamin, I came to you this way because I respect you. I thought you would be able to accept sense when it was handed to you. But make no mistake, I will do what needs to be done to protect this community. Do not force my hand.” “You are forcing my hand, Silas! You have amassed so much power that no one can do anything but follow you. That is not what this community was built on! We will not become like those outside our boundaries!”

“Enough!” Silas boomed, startling the nearby birds from their trees. The whole park was silent for a beat before he continued. “I had tried to give you the benefit of the doubt, Benjamin, I thought you would be able to see sense and step down in the face of someone clearly more suited to the task of leading than you.” An audible gasp went through the crowd gathered, and Evan all but held his breath through the silence that followed. “But that does not appear to be the case, so let me lay it all out for you. You and your men are no longer able to protect us. You lied to us by omission. And now, you can’t even admit that the safety of our people would be better off in the hands of someone who can not only provide protection but give them the means to protect themselves.”

Evan had to admit it was a compelling speech, and from the murmurs going through the crowd, it seemed as though those around him were beginning to agree with Silas was saying. Looking around, he could see that most of the crowd was nodding along, talking amongst themselves. Benjamin’s group had been pressed into a corner, and they knew it, eyeing Benjamin while keeping an eye on the crowd. Silas was almost basking under the attention he was receiving, he was deceptively calm, hands on his hips, a small smile on his face. Benjamin himself just looked defeated, his hands loose at his sides, head down and shoulders slumped. Evan felt for the man, it was hard to watch, he couldn’t even imagine what it would be like to be in that situation.

“Alright,” Benjamin spoke, voice clear and calm, and the crowd fell silent once more. “I will admit that we are no longer the best choice as leaders of the community and that you are in a better position than I to provide the protection we need. But I stand by what I said before. I implore you to keep your head, Silas. Do not create conflict where there does not need to be any.” Silas bowed his head in acknowledgment, suddenly more somber than he was a moment ago. “That being said, in full view of our community, the one I swore to protect as long as I could, I pass on my leadership responsibilities to Silas.” Benjamin and Silas moved forward and shook hands, and then turned back to their respective men, Silas with his arms spread wide in victory, and Benjamin with his head bowed. The crowd began to disperse, some moving to congratulate Silas, some to comfort Benjamin, most just making themselves scarce. Tyler gave the signal for them to retreat, and Evan backed his way out of the crowd, catching Silas’s eye only once during his retreat, but it was enough to send a thrill of dread down his spine.

Evan turned and hurried after his friends, and they walked home in silence. They assumed the same protective circle around him as before, and Evan sighed through his nose. It had been a long day for all of them, and he wasn’t looking forward to what was coming once they reached home. Evan bumped shoulders with Tyler, and his friend looked at him with barely concealed fear and frustration in his eyes. Evan new his friend hated being unsure of the future and what it held for them, but he hated being kept out of the loop even more. “I want a full report when we get home Evan. I want to know exactly what he said.” Tyler said to him, and Evan was quick to answer, just loud enough for everyone in his family to hear. “Absolutely. I just don’t want anything getting to the wrong ears, you know? As soon as we are home, I’ll tell all of you everything.”

Tyler nodded and gave him a small, genuine smile. It made Evan feel more at ease, despite what he would have to share with them, and slowly, conversation started up between the group again. It wasn’t the usual noise, everyone still on edge, and they were all still surrounding him instead of him being out front as he usually was, but Evan figured it was the best he was going to get for a while. Eventually, they made it home, ducking into their little side alley, dodging the rubbish and the bins. Ryan unlocked the front door, everyone else slipping inside as quickly as they could. Evan walked in and breathed a sigh of relief. It was so good to be home. They all took off their coats, falling silent once again as they all sat around their table one by one. Evan had no idea how to begin, but he knew that they all wanted answers as to what the hell was going on. He decided to just go for it, placing his elbows on the table and leaning forward.

“Silas called me over to gauge how much he could rely on us once he took over. He had noticed we weren’t the most enthusiastic about his plan. But he also pulled me aside to offer us another job.” His friends stayed silent, and Evan looked up at all of them as he continued. “He plans to make a move on one of the surrounding communities in three nights time. There is a group camped just outside our borders, and he says he wants to see what they are up to, and establish contact.” Evan paused and blew out a breath, continuing slowly. “And take out any threat he deems necessary to protect our people. He wants us to join him.”

Evan watched as everyone contemplated the news. Tyler sat back in his chair, a hand in his hair. Brian was as tense as Evan had ever seen him, liked a spring coiled too tight. Anthony was staring at the table, eyes darting from point to point as he ran it through his mind. Jonathan’s face was carefully blank, as opposed to Jaren, who looked outright scared. Marcel had his arms crossed, face stormy, and Ryan was shaking his head next to him. David just seemed pissed, like he hated everything that had just been said, and he probably did. Evan decided to just finish off telling everyone what had been said. 

“When he pulled me in close, he told me not to dare tell anyone else about what we spoke about. He told me he would know if I did, and the consequences would not bear thinking about.” At this, everyone at the table sat forward. “He threatened you!?” Jonathan yelled, hands slamming down on the table, and suddenly everyone was talking at once. “Did he hurt you?” “Who does he think he is!” “What the fuck, man!”

“Hey, hey!” Evan yelled out, trying to be heard over the cacophony of the table. “I’m fine, I’m not hurt, he didn’t do anything to me.” The room quietened to hear what he had to say, and Evan sighed, rubbing a hand over his forehead. “He just gave me a warning, that’s all. We are just going to have to be extra careful over the next few days.” “Do you think this has to do with Craig and the others?” Jaren asked, and Evan shook his head. “I have no idea, honestly. The raid will happen before we are due to meet again, so it shouldn’t be a problem for now.”   
“For now,” Tyler repeated, and Evan sat back in his chair, watching his friend cross his arms in thought. Evan suddenly felt more tired than he had in a long time, and rubbed his hands over his face, tilting his head back to the ceiling. “I think we should discuss what is going to happen with this raid we’ve been invited to first. Deal with that, get it out of the way, then discuss what we are going to do about Craig and the others.” Tyler said, and Evan agreed. That is the most pressing issue at the moment, but Tyler wasn’t done. “But once that’s over with, we are going to have a serious discussion about our next moves.” Evan closed his eyes and sighed again through his nose. He was aware that everything was starting to fray at the seams, their safety was becoming less and less certain. For the first time in a long time, he was unsure if he had made the right choice, siding with Silas. He just had to hope he was making the right decisions now.


	10. Chapter 10

Two nights passed in the blink of an eye, and before Tyler knew it, they were all walking towards the edge of the city to meet Silas. They had all talked extensively about what was going to happen, they had planned for every eventuality they could think of, but still, none of them felt prepared for what they were walking into. Everyone was on edge, especially after the scare with Evan and Silas, and Tyler didn’t think anyone had had a full nights sleep since. Before they left, no one had said a word, just prepared weapons and left in silence. Everyone was still quiet, even Jaren, the nervous chatterer, was uncharacteristically silent, and Tyler hated it. He hated the situation, he hated the effect it was having on their family, and he hated living in fear of what was coming next.

Tyler glanced at Evan, his oldest friend, and sighed through his nose. He knew that Evan was stressed, he hadn’t really calmed down since they came home two days ago, but Tyler wished there had been another way. On the one hand, Tyler knew that Evan wouldn’t just put them in danger, but on the other hand, Tyler wondered if Evan was just too cautious. The safety of their family was his biggest concern, Tyler knew that, but it seemed to him that just going with the status quo as they had been wasn’t in their best interests anymore. Not if it meant doing these kinds of raids on other settlements. He and Evan had spoken in private, at their little spot on the roof, and Evan was hoping that if they could just get through this last hurdle, they would be safe. That if they proved their loyalty, they would be left alone. Tyler wasn’t convinced and had told Evan as much.

“You don’t know that he will leave us alone if we do this Evan, he could just keep threatening us, and one day we won’t all make it back.” Tyler had told him, trying to keep his voice down, so the others didn’t hear them. Arguments never went well between all of them, too many personalities in one space, so he and Evan had decided to talk this out themselves. Evan had countered his point with a soft reply. “But we don’t know that he won’t either. If we prove ourselves, he might start to trust us more.” Tyler had looked at his friend and saw just how tense he was. He wasn’t sure he believed his own words, Tyler realised but was trying to sound like he did for his sake. For their family’s sake. Tyler had nodded and let the subject drop, but he hadn’t forgotten his doubts, and now that they were making their way to a possible hostile situation, they were coming back full force.

They were in an unfamiliar part of the city now, which didn’t help Tyler’s doubts, and everybody was clustered together in a tight-knit group. Evan was still in the centre, no matter his assurances that everything was fine, with everyone else fanned out around him. Tyler was at his left side, Ryan at his right. Jonathan, Anthony, and Brian were in front, with David, Marcel, and Jaren bringing up the rear. Everyone was armed as well, a knife and a gun at least. Tyler himself had his trusty steel pipe in hand, Evan had his crowbar hung on his belt loop, and Jonathan had his modified baseball bat. They painted an imposing picture, and Tyler just hoped it was enough to intimidate anyone that might be looking to pick a fight.

When they reached their destination, Silas was already waiting. Evan slipped to the forefront of the group to greet him. Tyler and Jonathan were right on his heels this time, not taking any chances. “I hope you were not waiting for long.” Evan began, stopping an arm’s length away from Silas. Tyler could see him looking them all up and down, face inscrutable, and he suppressed a shiver. He hadn’t liked the man before, but the vibe Tyler got from him now that he was in power was downright terrifying. “Not at all,” Silas replied. “We just got here ourselves. You have impeccable timing, as always Evan.” Evan adjusted his stance, legs spreading a touch wider and hands going behind his back, defensive. “It was a team effort.” Was all he gave in reply, and Tyler watched the two as they stared each other down for a few tense seconds. “Of course.” Silas eventually conceded, stepping to one side and gesturing them towards his men. “Come stand with us, and I will explain what is going to happen.” 

“We are fine where we are,” Tyler spoke up, and Evan stiffened slightly as Silas turned back to face them. “I would appreciate it if you would move over to where the rest of us are. It isn’t practical to explain oneself more than once. And we are a community, aren’t we? A family as you so eloquently put it? I would think you would want to stand with everyone.” Tyler narrowed his eyes, sensing that what followed was going to be a test. Evan gave a quick nod and turned to look Tyler in the eye. His gaze was steady, and Tyler read the underlying message, ‘follow my lead.’ “We will join them.” Evan made to move past Silas, but he held up a hand, stalling them.

“I can see you are all carrying weapons. Are you expecting there to be a fight?” Silas asked, and Evan carefully responded. “We only want to protect ourselves. We don’t fight if there is no need, and we certainly don’t go seeking any out.” Evan paused as Silas raised an eyebrow, seemingly unhappy with his answer, and deftly changed tactics. “But that doesn’t mean that in order to protect our family, we won’t take out a threat.” Evan brought his hands to his sides, palms open, gesturing to Tyler and their friends. A moment of tense silence followed, which Tyler was sure aged him ten years before Silas finally nodded and stepped aside, allowing them to pass. They all quickly moved past him and joined everyone else already gathered, the crowd opening up slightly to make room despite all the stares they were receiving.

“Now that we are all gathered, I’ll tell you all what is happening tonight.” Tyler stepped right next to Evan, everyone crowding close to hear what was happening. “Three blocks down, there is a survivor camp. Needless to say, they are quite close to our territory. We are going to do some reconnaissance, scope out how dangerous they are. If they do not appear to be dangerous, I will introduce us. My men will be with me. Evan, you and your people will be hidden, but monitoring the situation. With any luck, we will leave with some new friends. If they are perceived a threat at any time in this exchange, however, we will use force to either make them leave or obliterate them.”

Tyler heard a sharp intake of breath, and to be quite honest, he didn’t know which one of them it was. The thought of having to take out an entire group of survivors was honestly overwhelming for him, and looking at Evan and the rest, they all looked the same. Evan’s mouth was set in a hard line, eyes highlighting his distress. Jonathan’s face was hidden under his hood, but his tense shoulders and death grip on his bat showed his disgust at the idea. Brian and Marcel were obviously angry, shooting death glares in Silas’s direction every so often. Anthony, Jaren, and Ryan were upset. Ryan and Jaren were huddled close together, fearful glances being shot at every member of their family in obvious worry, and Anthony’s hands were clenched into tight fists, eyes glistening. David was shaking with rage, and Tyler knew he was thinking of his old family, the one he lost before joining with them. He put a hand on his ’friend’s shoulder, trying to offer comfort he knew he could not possibly give.

Silas hadn’t missed their reactions though, eyes flitting between them all. “Interesting. You are armed, and say that you will do what needs to be done to protect your family, but when violence is even mentioned, you all recoil so strongly. I am seriously beginning to doubt your loyalty to this cause, Evan.” A shiver went down Tyler’s spine, and everyone around him froze. This wasn’t the vague threat Evan had received at the meeting, Silas was directly calling them out. They’d have to be careful here.

“We will protect our community Silas, but you must remember that my family and I have not been in combat for a long time. The whole reason we are a part of this is that we are seeking safety. And if that safety requires us to fight, then we will, but I think you can forgive us if we are a little apprehensive.” Evan responded, his voice carrying easily across the space between them. Silence followed, and the wind whistling between empty streets reminded Tyler of old movies, enemies standing off against each other before a fight. 

Finally, Silas nodded slightly to himself, seeming to come to a decision. “I understand. But I expect you will be more composed going forward. We cannot show any weakness in front of these people. It could spell the end of us, and all of our efforts will have been for nothing.” Evan nodded, schooling his face into calm indifference. Tyler followed his lead, relaxing his muscles and forcing his mind to slow, to think of only what was happening now, and what he would need to do in the coming hours. He pushed down the nagging feeling that everything was about to go wrong, and put his faith in his family.

As they began to move further into the territory of this new group, Tyler gave a searching look to his family, Evan, especially. While everyone else had gathered themselves to some extent, stern faces and purposeful movements, Evan was the opposite. His head was down, and his eyes were haunted, almost like he had taken on all the fear the rest of his family had shed. He still moved with intent, but he lacked the usual stoicism he reserved for situations like this, and that had Tyler more unnerved than anything else that had happened. He would keep a close eye on his friend, he decided, and when this was all over, they were going to have another talk. As much as Evan took care of them all, eased their fears and kept them all in high spirits, he tended to neglect himself. He could be very emotionally constipated, as Tyler liked to put it.

It wasn’t long before they reached their destination and wordlessly separated from Silas. They didn’t exactly split up, but they were much further apart than normal, trying to surround the place without losing sight of each other. Tyler settled in for the long haul, crouching behind someones front steps with both his elbows resting on his knees. He watched as his family took similar positions behind cars and buildings, Jonathan, Brian, and David taking back alleys to get a little closer without giving away their positions. As the afternoon passed and night began to creep in, Tyler watched as Silas finally walked into the new camp. He got up from his seated position, still hidden behind the steps. But everything seemed to be going smoothly, and Tyler allowed himself to breathe a sigh a relief. Everything was going to be okay. Minutes passed, and still no sign of a struggle, and Tyler looked over to Evan, who was staring intently at the scene. Even in the dark, he could see that hope had returned to his friends face. Evan turned to face him, and let out a small grin, filling Tyler with happiness. The feeling lasted for two, maybe three more seconds, until a shot rang out in the darkness.


	11. Chapter 11

Evan’s heart dropped to his stomach, eyes searching frantically in the falling dark as more shots were fired. To his immense relief, no one was hurt, his family all still hidden, but it didn’t do much quell his rising panic. Shouts were erupting from the encampment down the road, screams of pain and anger echoing off the empty buildings standing either side. Horror washed over Evan, his hands shaking in fear and rage. This was precisely what they had tried to avoid, and now they were right in the middle of it. Silas had lead them into what sounded like a massacre.

Evan took a deep breath and attempted to settle his nerves. Freaking out wasn’t going to get them all out of here. His family hadn’t moved yet, all staring down the street. Silas and his men were out of sight, as were the people from the encampment, and all they could hear was chaos. Even though his heart was screaming at him to get them all out of there, Evan knew it wasn’t a smart move to just run. They would draw attention to themselves. And even if they did all manage to get away, there was after to think about too. If Silas’s group survived, he would know that they had fled, and they would be in more danger than they were now. He couldn’t take that chance, but they weren’t going anywhere near that fight. The only other option was to stay hidden and keep out of trouble, and even though he didn’t like it, it was the safest play. Tyler was going to hate him.

Mind made up, Evan just had to communicate it to the others. He’d have some explaining to do later, but Evan could live with that if it meant that they were all safe. Looking around, he spotted a stray piece of rubble not too far away and threw it in Tyler’s direction. He felt a panicked sense of mirth as his friend jumped nearly a foot in the air, and waved at him to get his attention. He held his hand up, then bent his fingers into a fist and covered it with his other hand. ‘Stay and hide.’ Evan made the gesture twice more before Tyler got it, and his friend was just as unhappy as he had feared. Tyler was shaking his head emphatically and started pointing down the street, towards home. Evan pointed in the opposite direction, at the fight still raging two blocks down the street, and made his fingers run in the air, simulating the chase that was sure to happen if they booked it. 

Tyler was standing now, hands in his hair as he turned in a circle, evident frustration rolling off him. Evan could see the strain in the lines of his friend’s body, even in the dark brought on by the setting sun. Tyler’s trust in him was being stretched, and Evan began to feel desperate. Evan could see it was getting too much for him, and he felt the same pang of guilt he had felt keeping answers from him that day at the supermarket. Evan waited as patiently as he could for his friend to come around, ignoring as best he could the sinking feeling that maybe this time he wouldn’t. Tyler was still now, facing away from him with his hands still in his hair. Evan all but held his breath as Tyler suddenly turned to face him. Evan couldn’t see his expression in the dark, but he knew Tyler was looking directly at him. A moment passed before Tyler held his hand up, straight above his head, clenching it into a fist and bringing it to his side. ‘Gather at my position.’ 

Evan all but slumped in relief, taking a quick moment to glance down the street, where the shots had now stopped, but he could still hear screaming and panicked shouts. Locating another piece of rumble near his foot, he sent it skittering across the tarmac, waiting until he could see the heads of his friends cautiously poke out from the shadows to tell them to meet at Tyler’s position. With one more precautionary look, Evan snuck his way across to Tyler, making sure he kept as low as he could as he hurried across the street. Tyler grabbed his arm when he got close, and they both shared a quick glance as he lead him into a nearby alley, watching anxiously as their friends made their way to them. 

Thankfully their family all made it across safely, but before Evan could begin to explain, the others were already questioning him with fierce whispers. “What are we doing?” Brian hissed. “We should be running right now!” Marcel and David were nodding in agreement, with everyone else watching them and the street nervously. “Why are we all over here?” Evan held his hands up, “Quiet down, and I’ll explain.” Evan began, and Brian bristled, gesturing for Evan to go ahead with a frustrated wave of his hand. Evan fought the urge to rub his hands over his face. At this rate, his whole family was going to be angry with him. “We are still here because we can’t just run. Even if we managed to get away without alerting anyone, Silas would know that we dipped. Staying here is the best option. We’re not getting involved,” Evan hastily added, voice rising when Brian opened his mouth to argue. “We are just playing it safe, okay? I’m trying to keep us safe.” 

He hadn’t meant for that last part to slip out, and this time he did scrub a hand across his eyes, suddenly more tired than he had been a moment ago. He’d never let it show when he was at the end of his rope before, and the effect his moment of weakness had on the rest of his friends was obvious. Everyone was silent, and no one would look his way. Even Tyler was looking down the street, purposely not meeting his eye. Evan sighed and shut his eyes briefly, tilting his head back to the sky and trying to get his racing mind to still. He needed a clear head if he was going to get them all through this intact. 

“We can’t run, and we aren’t going in there. Silas said to stay hidden and monitor the situation. So that is exactly what we are going to do. We monitor, we keep each other safe, and then we get the hell away from this place. Everyone okay with that?” Evan asked, opening his eyes and looking to all of them in turn. Brian, Marcel and David were obviously unhappy with everything about their current situation, arms crossed or angrily shoved into their pockets, scowling at the floor. Jonathan and Tyler were silent, still looking down the street and listening to the screams. More shots were being fired now, and every now and again, a voice would suddenly go quiet, sending shivers down their spines. Ryan, Jaren, and Anthony were the only ones meeting his eyes, even if they were just fleeting glances. They were all looking between each other, and Evan had never felt quite as alone as he did right then. Even at the beginning, when his parents were gone, and he had no one, Evan had never felt quite as abandoned as he was right now. His family was all around him, but no one trusting him to do whats best for them, as he had done from the very beginning. Evan bowed his head, no longer able to look at any of them. 

“Okay.” Tyler suddenly replied, and Evan glanced up at him. Tyler was looking at him now, face slightly turned in his direction. “As much as I hate this, and I really, really hate it.” Tyler gave him a pointed glare, and he couldn’t hold back a wince. “… Evan’s right. We can’t just run away from this. The consequences will follow us. We have to stay and see this through.” Evan gave a grateful smile, and looked up to the rest of his family, waiting for their verdict. Slowly, one by one, they all began nodding, until only Brian was left. Evan watched his friend as he looked at the rest of their family, nodding their assent. He threw his head back and groaned. “Alright, alright.” Evan broke out in a grin. “Thank you, Brian.” Brian rolled his eyes and gave him a smile. “Yeah yeah, we all know you love me, come one ya big softie.” A low laugh went through the group, and just like that, a weight was lifted from Evan’s chest.

They spent a few more moments in the alley planning out their approach, before finally moving alcove to alcove, doorway to doorway, closer to the encampment. It didn’t take them long, voices and gunfire growing ever louder as they moved closer and eventually made it to the outskirts of the camp. They had chosen a section of the wall where they could remain hidden, but had plenty of exits, not taking any chances as they began to take stock of the situation. The camp was only one city block in size, set up in the ruins of the apartment buildings that would have stood there once upon a time. The crumbling walls were high enough that they couldn’t see over in most places, and they could all still hear unfamiliar voices calling out for their friends, the sound not sitting right with Evan. A group this small that knew the terrain well enough to survive had to have been there a while already. They were being slaughtered, and they had not ever been a threat.

Before Evan could even begin to process these thoughts, he heard two things. Firstly, the shouts turned into screams as more gun shots cracked through the stillness, and second, the sound of sprinting footsteps coming closer to their position. They all reacted without thinking, clustering together close and drawing weapons, leaving enough room to swing. The footsteps rounded the corner they were currently hiding behind, and a man startled and fell to the floor when he spotted them. He was covered in soot and blood, his tri-colour singlet blackened and stuck with sweat to his skin. He tried to scramble away, backing himself against a wall as they surrounded him. His trembling hands rose into the air, tears beginning to make their way down his cheeks as the last of the voices falling silent, a final gunshot echoing into the night. Evan wanted to comfort the man, but he could hear Silas and his men spreading out, no doubt looking for the currently cowering in front of them. 

Evan looked to Tyler, who glanced at him with his pipe still raised high, ready to strike. Tyler immediately shook his head, lowering his weapon, and Evan nodded, all of them stowing away their weapons. “What’s your name?” Tyler asked softly, and Evan was reminded of when it was him cornered in a dark alley, being talked down by a great big bear of a man who would become one of his best friends. “…Brock.” The man, Brock, said quietly, hands still raised despite everything. “We aren’t going to hurt you, Brock.” Tyler carried on, inching a little closer. “Are you with them? The men who-” Brock’s voice gave out as a fresh wave of tears consumed him, and they all looked to each other in shame. “Not now.” Evan said, looking back to Brock. “Not after this.” He could see Tyler looking at him from the corner of his eye, and Evan knew they were going to have to have a drawn out conversation about this, but Evan was sure as hell not putting anyone, especially his own family, through anything like this.

Evan moved over to where Tyler was standing and addressed him directly. “There is no way this is the only attack Silas is going to organise, and I, for one, am not going to be a part of it.” Tyler’s shoulders sagged, like the weight of the world had suddenly been put upon them. “I agree, but we are going to have to be even more careful now, Evan.” Evan nodded and turned, waving the rest of their family over. They gave Brock a second look and moved to where he and Tyler stood, not too far away from Brock, where he was still sat against the ruins of his home, but far enough to give him some time to compose himself. 

“I’m not doing this again.” Brian said, David agreeing with a muttered: “Damn focking straight.” “I agree,” Evan told them. “So we are going to have to re-evaluate where we are, and quickly because Silas won’t be far away.” “What about Brock?” Ryan asked. “We can’t just leave him here.” “I hate to say it,” Tyler answered. “But he’s dangerous. If Silas finds out…” They all paused, letting Tyler’s words sink in. “I won’t risk it. We’ve got to leave him.” “Tyler-“Evan began, but Tyler cut him off, his voice suddenly harsh and cutting. “No, Evan. We’ve risked enough today.” 

Evan stared at his friend for a moment, shaken. David made a wounded sound, and Brian stepped up to his defence as Marcel audibly growled at him. Evan settled them with a stern glance before starting again, quieter, but with enough command in his tone that it brooked no argument. “We are not leaving him.” Tyler threw his hands up in the air. “Fine.” He spat out as Ryan, David, and Brian stepping up to his side to back his decision, Marcel moving to stand next to Tyler. “But when this turns pear-shaped, and you get somebody killed, don’t come crying to me.” Evan barely managed to suppress the pain he felt at the words of his oldest friends and turned his back before his eyes could show the distress he was feeling at his family splintering around him.

“Do you have anywhere to go?” Brian asked Brock, David already moving to sit down next to him, arm slung over his shoulders in silent companionship. “No. They were all I had.” If Evan hadn’t been sure before, the look of pain that crossed David’s face at this would have all but made up his mind. He wasn’t going to leave Brock behind, but they’d have to get past Silas first. Honestly, Evan wasn’t even sure they’d be able to do it, and Tyler was going to be angry with him for a very long time. He’d never overruled Tyler like that, never in all the years they’d known each other, but he couldn’t let his fear get another person killed. He just had to hope that Tyler would calm down, that he’d come to understand. But for now, Evan took a deep breath and rallied what remained of his nerve. They’d have to work together to get out of this, whether Tyler wanted to or not.


End file.
